Abia Man Released After 22 Years in Prison for Robbery – Says Ogun Attorney General

Abia Man Released After 22 Years in Prison for Robbery – Says Ogun Attorney General

The Ogun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, has clarified that Ogbonna Ogbojionu, an Abia State indigene 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 issued on Wednesday, Ogungbade stated that Ogbonna, along with accomplices, was involved in a robbery that took place on October 3, 2000, during which a security guard was killed.

Ogbonna drew widespread attention online after regaining his freedom, following the intervention of Abia State Governor Alex Otti. Social media reports had inaccurately claimed he was sentenced to death for purchasing a stolen generator, sparking criticism of Nigeria’s justice system.

The reports had claimed that Ogbonna disclosed that, at the time of his arrest in 1999, he was forced to write a statement that he did not understand, prosecuted and then sentenced to death.

Reacting to the claims, Ogungbade described the claims as false, narrating that Ogbonna was lawfully and rightly convicted for the crime he committed.

While narrating the series of events that led to the death sentence conviction, the AG disclosed that on October 3, 2000, at about 10 pm, “a gang of armed robbers attacked the ELF petrol station along Abeokuta-Lagos road and stole a 10 KVA Lister generator. The armed robbers overpowered and detained the two guards at the fuel station.

“They hit one guard – Yusuf Akanni – with an iron rod on his head and his leg, breaking his femur. They hit the second guard, Moses Bankole, on the head with an iron rod as well, then they bound both guards. Moses Bankole died on the spot, while bound, while Ogbonna and the other armed robbers made away with the Lister generator.

“Yusuf Akanni, the surviving guard, was the first prosecution witness for Ogun State. Ogbonna was a generator technician, so he was the robber who specifically loosened the generator from where it was secured in the ELF filling station.”

He continued that some days later, at about 2:30 am, a police team intercepted a vehicle at the Toll Gate area loaded with firewood and pure water bags, but upon a search of the vehicle, the police discovered it was used to conceal the same generator that was stolen earlier. When the driver, Ogbonna and one Kolawole Oladeji were confronted, they could not provide evidence of ownership of the generator.

The AG noted that the driver and Oladeji zoomed off while the police were trying to impound the vehicle, leaving Ogbonna behind.

Ogungbade continued, “Ogbonna was detained in one of the cells at Toll Gate, but before morning, Ogbonna escaped by breaking through the asbestos in the cell’s ceiling. However, by that time, the Police had already recorded the vehicle’s registration number.

“Investigations at the Alausa licensing office disclosed the owner of the vehicle who presented his four drivers to the Police. Sunday Oloyede turned out to be one of the truck owner’s drivers, and he was arrested. He led the Police to Kolawole Oladeji and Segun Ajibade.

“The three then led the police to Ogbonna, who was arrested, but by then had already sold the generator. Ogbonna led the police to the person he sold the generator to, one Ali Rihan, who released the generator back to the police and testified against Ogbonna and the others, as the 11th prosecution witness.”

Ogun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, has provided further details surrounding the conviction of Ogbonna Ogbojionu, clarifying that he was not imprisoned for simply purchasing a stolen generator, as widely circulated online.

According to Ogungbade, during the trial, Ogbonna confessed to his involvement in the robbery and failed to present any witnesses to challenge the charges against him. His legal team rested their case solely on the prosecution’s evidence, leaving the court with no choice but to convict him.

Ogungbade further explained that Ogbonna was sentenced on January 14, 2003, and that in 2021, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun exercised his prerogative of mercy by commuting Ogbonna’s death sentence to life imprisonment.

He emphasized that there was no proof Ogbonna ever bought the generator in question. “If Ogbonna truly owned the generator, he would have shown a receipt or any evidence of purchase either to the police at the checkpoint or during his trial,” Ogungbade stated. He pointed out that Ogbonna had issued a receipt to Ali Rihan, who later bought the generator from him, showing that he understood the importance of such documentation.

“If he was truly tortured into confessing, why didn’t he object to the confessional statement in court? Why didn’t he call any witnesses to support his claim of ownership of the generator, or anyone who could speak to his legitimate source of income? The reality is, those witnesses didn’t exist,” he added.

The Attorney General urged Nigerians not to be misled by false narratives portraying Ogbonna as a victim. He reminded the public of the real human cost of the crime — the death of security guard Moses Bankole, and the trauma inflicted on others involved.

“Ogbonna’s actions disrupted a business, traumatised Akanni Yusuf, and led to the death of Moses Bankole. These victims and their families still live with the consequences, and efforts to recast Ogbonna as an innocent man only deepen the injustice done to them,” Ogungbade said.

He concluded, “If Ogbonna is truly reformed, he should humbly and quietly move on with his life in freedom. Right now, his honesty is in serious doubt — and the public deserves to know that.”