By Erewunmi Peace

The Ogun State Government has officially debunked widespread reports suggesting that Mr. Ogbonna Ogbojionu was imprisoned for 22 years solely for purchasing a stolen generator. According to a statement by the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), the convict was jailed for his role in a violent armed robbery and murder in 2000.

Ogbojionu, who was recently released as part of the Democracy Day pardon, was convicted on January 14, 2003, for his involvement in a robbery at an ELF petrol station located along the Abeokuta–Lagos Expressway. During the robbery, a security guard was killed and a generator was stolen.

Ogungbade disclosed that a total of eleven witnesses, including a surviving security guard and the individual who bought the stolen generator, testified against Ogbojionu during trial. The convict reportedly made two confessional statements and did not call any witnesses in his defense.

Initially sentenced to death, his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment in June 2021, and he was subsequently released in 2025 following the governor’s prerogative of mercy.

The Attorney General emphasized the importance of verifying facts before spreading misinformation, especially on matters relating to criminal justice. He noted that sensational claims can mislead the public and distort the truth.

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“The facts are clear. Mr. Ogbojionu was convicted for armed robbery and murder, not for merely buying a stolen generator. Justice was served in accordance with due process,” Ogungbade stated.

The clarification comes in the wake of social media outrage over claims that the justice system had failed by punishing a man for a relatively minor offense. However, official records confirm that the case was far more serious than originally portrayed