Ogun AG: Man jailed for 22 years convicted of armed robbery, not for buying stolen generator

The Ogun state government has refuted viral reports suggesting that one Ogbonna Ogbojionu, who was recently released after 22 years prison, was wrongfully convicted.

Following Ogbojionu’s release in June, there have been viral social media claims suggesting he was wrongfully imprisoned for simply buying a stolen generator.

The narrative has gained traction fueling public debate and scrutiny of the judicial process.

In a rebuttal on Wednesday, Oluwasina Ogungbade, the attorney-general and commissioner for justice, clarified that Ogbojionu was convicted on January 14, 2003, by the Ogun state high court for his role in an armed robbery incident.

Ogungbade said Ogbojionu and his gang robbed an ELF petrol station, where they stole a 10 KVA lister generator, inflicted injury on two security guards. He said Moses Bankole, one of the security guards, later died.

He said the prosecution presented 11 witnesses, and Ogbojionu made two confessional statements without objection, adding that Ogbojionu did not call any witnesses or present evidence in his defence.

Ogungbade explained that Ogbojionu was initially sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in June 2021 by Dapo Abiodun, Ogun governor.

He said the convict was released recently after benefiting from the governor’s prerogative of mercy to mark Democracy Day 2025.

Ogungbade added that the governor’s prerogative of mercy is discretionary and considers factors such as the nature of the offence, the convict’s likelihood to reoffend, ability to reintegrate into society, and remorse shown.

The state attorney-general said Ogbojionu’s crime had serious consequences and warned against attempts to portray him as a victim.

“Ogbonna did not merely buy a stolen generator. Indeed, there is no evidence till date, that Ogbonna ever bought the generator in issue. The true facts are that around 10:00 pm on 3 October 2000, a gang of armed robbers attacked ELF petrol station along Abeokuta-Lagos road and stole a 10 KVA Lister generator,” the statement reads.

“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 on 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 ELF filling station.

“At 2:30 am a few days later, around Toll Gate, Ota, the Police randomly stopped a vehicle which was loaded with firewood and pure water bags that had been used to conceal a big generator. That generator turned out to be the same generator stolen from ELF. Ogbonna was in the vehicle alongside the vehicle’s driver (Sunday Oloyede) and one Kolawole Oladeji. When confronted by the Police, none of them could produce a receipt for the generator, so the Police decided to impound he vehicle and arrest its occupants. As the Police were planning to move the vehicle to the station, the driver and Kolawole Oladeji zoomed off with the vehicle, leaving Ogbonna behind. Ogbonna was detained in one of the cells at Toll Gate but before morning, Ogbonna escaped by breaking 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 eleventh prosecution witness.

“If Ogbonna truly owned the generator, he would have presented a receipt or any evidence of purchase to the Police at the checkpoint or at his trial. Ogbonna knew the value and status of a receipt, because he issued Ali Rihan a receipt after selling the generator to Ali. If Ogbonna was truly tortured in detention to confess, what is his explanation for not objecting to the confessional statement at trial?”

Ogungbade urged Ogbojionu to demonstrate genuine reform by quietly pursuing honest endeavours, warning that his honesty remains doubtful.