The Ogun State Government has refuted viral reports claiming that recently released convict Ogbonna Ogbojionu was wrongfully imprisoned for buying a stolen generator.
In an official statement issued by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, a senior advocate, the State Government clarified that Ogbojionu was duly convicted for his role in a violent armed robbery that left one person dead and another seriously injured.
Ogbojionu, who was sentenced to death by the Ogun State High Court on January 14, 2003, had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment in 2021 by Governor Dapo Abiodun under the state’s prerogative of mercy.
He was eventually released as part of the Governor’s Democracy Day gesture in 2025, following recommendations from the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy. He was recently hosted by the Abia State Governor, Mr Alex Otti who promised to rehabilitate him.
Contrary to recent social media claims, Ogbojionu was not convicted for simply purchasing stolen goods. According to court records and eyewitness testimony, Ogbojionu was part of a gang of armed robbers who, on October 3, 2000, attacked an ELF petrol station along the Abeokuta-Lagos road, violently assaulted two security guards, and stole a 10KVA Lister generator.
One of the guards, Moses Bankole, was beaten and died on the spot. The other, Yusuf Akanni, survived but sustained serious injuries. Akanni later testified in court, identifying Ogbojionu as the technician who detached the generator during the robbery.
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Days later, police intercepted a vehicle in Ota carrying the stolen generator concealed beneath firewood and pure water bags. Ogbojionu was one of three occupants. When confronted, none could produce proof of ownership. The driver fled with the vehicle, but Ogbojionu was arrested. He later escaped custody but was rearrested based on confessions and leads from his accomplices.
Investigations led to the recovery of the stolen generator from a buyer named Ali Rihan, who testified against Ogbojionu in court. Ogbojionu also confessed in two separate written statements, both of which were admitted as evidence without claims of coercion.
The State emphasized that Ogbojionu never presented a legal defense, called no witnesses, and relied entirely on the prosecution’s case during trial—effectively conceding the facts. “If he had any proof of innocence, he had ample opportunity to present it,” the statement read.
Officials warned that portraying Ogbojionu as a victim does injustice to the actual victims, especially the late Moses Bankole. “The public must remember that Ogbonna’s actions terrorised a business, injured one man, and cost another his life. His recent release should not be mistaken for innocence.”
The statement also suggested that unlike Ogbojionu, another co-convict, Segun Ajibade—allegedly released in 2016—had remained quiet and law-abiding, a sign of true reform. “Ogbonna’s attempt to rewrite history is dishonest and dangerous,” it concluded.
Crediblenewsng.com
