The Ogun State Government has debunked claims that Ogbonna Ogbojionu, a man recently released from prison, was wrongfully jailed for over two decades for allegedly buying a stolen generator.
In a statement signed by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), the government described the circulating narrative as “entirely false,” stressing that Ogbonna was lawfully convicted for armed robbery and murder, not for a petty offence as some have claimed.
Ogbonna was sentenced to death on January 14, 2003, by the Ogun State High Court following his involvement in a violent armed robbery that led to the death of a security guard. In June 2021, Governor Dapo Abiodun commuted his sentence to life imprisonment under the constitutional prerogative of mercy, and in 2025, Ogbonna was among those granted release to commemorate Democracy Day.
“The truth is that Ogbonna was not convicted for buying a stolen generator. He was one of the armed robbers who violently attacked the ELF petrol station in Abeokuta on October 3, 2000, killed one security guard and seriously injured another before stealing a 10KVA Lister generator,” Ogungbade said.
The Attorney-General gave a detailed account of the case, stating that Ogbonna, a generator technician, was the person who dismantled the generator during the robbery. Days later, he was found in a vehicle carrying the stolen generator, which had been concealed with firewood and pure water sachets. Upon interception by police officers, two of his co-travellers fled with the vehicle, leaving Ogbonna behind.
“Ogbonna escaped from police custody later that night but was rearrested after one of the suspects led officers to him. He later admitted to the crime and led the police to the person he sold the stolen generator to. That person, one Ali Rihan, returned the generator and testified against him in court,” Ogungbade added.
According to the statement, Ogbonna gave two confessional statements, both admitted in court without any objection of coercion. The prosecution called 11 witnesses, while Ogbonna and his co-defendants called none. “They chose to rest their case on the prosecution’s evidence, which under the law, implies acceptance of the facts as narrated,” the AG noted.
Ogungbade also clarified that the decision to grant Ogbonna clemency had nothing to do with any claim of wrongful conviction. “The prerogative of mercy is not a right. It is a discretionary constitutional power exercised by the Governor based on several factors, including remorse, rehabilitation, and readiness for reintegration into society.”
He condemned what he described as “false attempts to rewrite the past” and urged the public not to be misled by emotional narratives that distort the facts. “Ogbonna’s crime terrorised the victims and claimed the life of a guard, Moses Bankole. Attempts to recreate him as a victim only serve to dishonour those who suffered because of his actions.”
The statement concluded with a strong warning: “If Ogbonna is truly reformed, he should silently and gratefully enjoy his freedom. His current actions raise serious doubts about that reformation, and the public is hereby put on notice.”
