By John Ogunsemore
The Ogun State Government has debunked viral reports claiming that a recently released convict, Ogbonna Ogbojionu, was wrongfully imprisoned for over two decades for buying a stolen generator.
This is contained in a Wednesday statement released by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of the state, Oluwasina Ogungbade, SAN.
Ogbojionu, an Abia indigene from Ibere in Ikwuano LGA, was among three ex-convicts received by Abia State Governor, Alex Otti on Saturday following their release from Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Lagos after spending 26 years on death row.
The others were Olawale Adediji and Segun Ajibade.
Ogbojionu’s plight came to light after an exposé by social media influencer, Olumide Ogunsanwo, better known as ‘Sea King.’
Social media has been awash with reports that Ogbojionu was jailed for simply buying a stolen generator whose source he did not know.
However, in the statement shared on X, the state government said Ogbojionu was properly convicted for his involvement in an armed robbery that resulted in the death of a security guard, Moses Bankole.
The Attorney-General clarified that Ogbojionu was convicted on January 14, 2003, by the Ogun State High Court and sentenced to death, but his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment in June 2021 by Governor Dapo Abiodun.
According to the statement, the court found him guilty of participating in an armed robbery at an ELF petrol station, where a gang of robbers stole a 10 KVA Lister generator and killed one of the guards.
Ogungbade said that the prosecution presented 11 witnesses, and Ogbojionu made two confessional statements without objection, choosing not to call any witnesses or present evidence in his defence.
He disclosed that the ex-convict was recently released from prison after his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, having benefited from the governor’s prerogative of mercy to commemorate Democracy Day 2025.
The AG pointed out that the prerogative is granted entirely at the governor’s discretion, considering the nature of the convict’s offence, the convict’s assessed tendency to reoffend, his ability to reintegrate into society, and the reformation demonstrated, most importantly by his remorse and regret.
He said: “If, as the viral reports now claim, Segun Ajibade, has truly led a quiet life since his release, it likely suggests genuine remorse for his crimes and his gratitude for his freedom.
” This is the exact opposite of Ogbonna’s intransigence today and could explain why Ogbonna (Ogbojionu) was not considered for release when Segun was.
“Ogbonna’s crime hobbled a business, terrorised Akanni Yusuf, and killed Moses Bankole.
“These victims or their relations remain today and attempts to sanitise Ogbonna’s conduct with falsehoods does fresh injustice to the victims.
“Those who, in a misguided quest for justice, are recreating Ogbonna as a victim will do well to remember Moses Bankole – the true and irredeemable victim of Ogbonna’s crime.
“If Ogbonna is truly reformed, he should silently and gratefully enjoy his freedom and pursue honest pursuits. Presently, his honesty is highly doubtful, and the world is hereby notified.”