After 22 Years Behind Bars, Ogun AG Confirms Abia Man Was Convicted for Robbery

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ogun State, Oluwasina Ogungbade, has clarified that Ogbonna Ogbojionu, an indigene of Abia State recently released after 22 years in prison, was convicted for robbery not for buying a stolen generator, as widely claimed on social media.

In a statement, Ogungbade explained that Ogbonna and his accomplices were involved in a robbery that took place on October 3, 2000, during which a security guard was killed. Ogbonna gained widespread attention after his release, which followed the intervention of the Abia State Governor. Social media reports had alleged that he was wrongly sentenced to death for unknowingly purchasing a stolen generator, prompting criticism of the justice system.

Refuting these claims, Ogungbade stated that Ogbonna was properly convicted based on evidence presented in court. He explained that the robbery occurred around 10 p.m. at the ELF petrol station along Abeokuta-Lagos Road, where a gang stole a 10 KVA Lister generator. The robbers, according to the statement, overpowered two security guards Yusuf Akanni and Moses Bankole. Both men were assaulted with iron rods, with Akanni sustaining a broken femur and Bankole dying at the scene. The gang then fled with the generator.

Ogbonna, who worked as a generator technician, was reportedly the individual who detached the generator during the robbery. Days later, around 2:30 a.m., police intercepted a vehicle at the Toll Gate area. Though it was seemingly loaded with firewood and water bags, a search revealed the concealed generator. Ogbonna and two others were in the vehicle but failed to provide proof of ownership. As officers tried to seize the vehicle, the driver and one other suspect fled, leaving Ogbonna behind. He was detained but escaped custody overnight by breaking through the cell ceiling. However, police had already recorded the vehicle’s registration details.

Further investigation led to the arrest of the vehicle’s owner and several drivers, one of whom guided the police to Ogbonna’s associates. Eventually, the police rearrested Ogbonna, who had already sold the generator. He then led them to the buyer, one Ali Rihan, who returned the generator and testified during the trial.

Ogungbade noted that Ogbonna admitted to the crime during legal proceedings and failed to provide any witnesses in his defense. As a result, the court convicted him on January 14, 2003. His death sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment in 2021 under the Governor’s prerogative of mercy.

The Attorney General emphasized that there is no evidence suggesting Ogbonna ever purchased the generator in question. If he had, he would have been able to provide a receipt or other proof of purchase. Notably, Ogbonna himself issued a receipt when selling the generator to Rihan.

Questions were raised about his claims of being coerced into making a confession. Ogungbade argued that if the confession had been obtained under duress, Ogbonna would have had the opportunity to challenge it in court, but he did not. He also failed to bring forward any witnesses to support his story or provide details about how he came to possess the generator lawfully.

The statement concluded with a call for people to view the full context of the crime. Ogungbade stressed that the robbery not only resulted in the death of a man but also caused trauma and business losses. He urged the public to consider the victims and avoid spreading misleading narratives. If Ogbonna is truly reformed, he added, he should quietly rebuild his life and show gratitude for his freedom rather than promoting an account that casts doubt on his honesty and disrespects the memory of those affected by his actions.