The Ogun State Government has firmly refuted widely circulated reports suggesting that one Ogbonna Ogboijonu was unjustly incarcerated for over 26 years simply for buying a stolen generator.
In an official statement issued on July 9, 2025, the government described such claims as entirely misleading and devoid of factual basis.
The government clarified that Ogboijonu was not an innocent bystander but was, in fact, actively involved in a deadly armed robbery incident that occurred on October 3, 2000.
According to details provided, a gang of armed men stormed an ELF petrol station situated along the Abeokuta-Lagos Road. During the course of the violent robbery, one security guard, Moses Bankole, was killed instantly, while another guard, Yusuf Akanni, suffered serious injuries.
As part of the operation, the criminals made away with a 10KVA Lister generator. Ogboijonu, who was reportedly a generator technician at the time, was identified as the individual responsible for detaching the generator from its secured position, thereby facilitating its theft.
Law enforcement authorities apprehended Ogboijonu several days later when a vehicle transporting the stolen generator — concealed beneath layers of firewood and water bags — was intercepted. While two of his accomplices managed to escape, Ogboijonu was captured.
He subsequently escaped from custody but was later re-arrested. Upon his re-arrest, he led police officers to the individual who had purchased the stolen generator.
That buyer not only recovered the stolen property but also gave testimony that further implicated Ogboijonu during the trial.
Following a thorough judicial process, Ogboijonu was convicted of armed robbery by the Ogun State High Court in 2003 and was sentenced to death. However, in 2021, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
Earlier this year, he was granted a pardon under the Governor’s constitutional prerogative of mercy — a clemency that, while granting him release, does not nullify his conviction or criminal record.
The government also emphasized that during his trial, Ogboijonu did not take the stand in his own defense and failed to present any witnesses to support his claim of innocence. This, according to the state, further undermines the recent portrayal of him as a victim of injustice.
Concluding its statement, the Ogun State Government described the viral reports as a deliberate distortion of facts and categorically dismissed the wrongful imprisonment narrative as a “lie.”
It reaffirmed that the conviction was grounded in law and supported by evidence, making Ogboijonu’s imprisonment both lawful and justified.