The Ogun State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, SAN, has dismissed recent viral reports claiming that Ogbonna Ogbojionu was wrongfully imprisoned for over two decades for merely buying a stolen generator.
In a press release on Wednesday, the Attorney-General provided a detailed account of Ogbonna’s involvement in a violent armed robbery in 2000, which left one security guard dead and another severely injured.
Ogbonna, who was seen in a viral video reuniting with his aged mother after his release, claimed in an interview with Honest Bunch Podcast that he was wrongfully convicted for unknowingly buying a stolen generator.
However, Ogungbade stated that “Ogbonna was convicted on 14 January 2003 by the Ogun State High Court and sentenced to death. But, his death sentence was commuted to a life sentence in June 2021 by Governor Dapo Abiodun CON, in exercise of the prerogative of mercy.”
He clarified that Ogbonna’s recent release was part of the governor’s discretionary powers and not an admission of innocence.
Contrary to claims that Ogbonna was merely an innocent buyer of a stolen generator, the Attorney-General revealed shocking details of the crime.
“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,” he said. “The robbers overpowered and detained two guards, Yusuf Akanni and Moses Bankole. They struck Akanni on the head and leg, breaking his femur, and hit Bankole on the head before binding both men. Bankole died on the spot while still tied up.”
Ogungbade emphasised that Ogbonna was not a passive participant but an active member of the robbery gang.
“Ogbonna was a generator technician, and he was the one who specifically loosened the generator from its secured position at the filling station,” he stated.
Days later, police intercepted a suspicious vehicle at Toll Gate, Ota, around 2:30 am. “The vehicle was loaded with firewood and pure water bags used to conceal a large generator—later confirmed to be the same one stolen from ELF,” the Attorney-General explained.
Ogbonna was inside the vehicle alongside the driver, Sunday Oloyede, and another accomplice, Kolawole Oladeji. “When questioned by the police, none of them could produce a receipt for the generator,” Ogungbade said.
“As the police prepared to impound the vehicle, the driver and Oladeji sped off, abandoning Ogbonna. He was detained but escaped overnight by breaking the ceiling of his cell.”
Despite his escape, investigators traced the vehicle’s owner, leading to the arrests of Oloyede, Oladeji, and another suspect, Segun Ajibade.
“They led the police to Ogbonna, who had already sold the stolen generator to one Ali Rihan,” the Attorney-General said. “Rihan returned the generator and testified against Ogbonna and his accomplices as the eleventh prosecution witness.”
Ogungbade dismissed claims that Ogbonna was tortured into confessing, noting that his statements were admitted in court without objections. “Ogbonna made two confessional statements in two different police stations, Exhibits K and B—and never raised allegations of coercion during trial,” he said.
“The prosecution called eleven witnesses, while Ogbonna and his co-defendants called none. They chose to rest their case on the prosecution’s evidence, meaning they accepted the facts presented but argued they were insufficient for conviction.”
The Attorney General challenged Ogbonna’s recent narrative, questioning why he never provided proof of ownership for the generator.
“If Ogbonna truly owned the generator, why did he not present a receipt to the police or in court?” Ogungbade asked. “He knew the value of a receipt because he issued one to Ali Rihan after selling the stolen generator. If he was tortured, why did he not challenge his confession in court? Why did he call no witnesses to support his innocence?”
He also addressed the comparison between Ogbonna and Segun Ajibade, who was reportedly pardoned in 2016. “The prerogative of mercy is not a right—it is granted based on factors like remorse, rehabilitation, and likelihood of reoffending,” Ogungbade stated. “If Ajibade has lived quietly since his release, it suggests genuine remorse. Ogbonna’s current conduct—spreading falsehoods—shows the opposite.”
The Attorney-General condemned attempts to portray Ogbonna as a victim, reminding the public of the real victims of the crime.
“Ogbonna’s actions terrorized Yusuf Akanni and killed Moses Bankole,” he said. “These victims and their families still live with the trauma. Rewriting history to paint Ogbonna as innocent does fresh injustice to them.”
He concluded with a stern warning: “If Ogbonna is truly reformed, he should silently and gratefully enjoy his freedom. Instead, his current dishonesty casts doubt on his rehabilitation. The public should not be misled—Ogbonna was rightly convicted for his role in a violent armed robbery.”
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