Ogun State Government Debunks Claims of Ogbonna Ogboijonu’s Wrongful Imprisonment
Enet
The Ogun State Government has refuted viral claims that Ogbonna Ogboijonu was unjustly imprisoned for over 26 years for merely buying a stolen generator.
In a July 9, 2025 press release, the government clarified that Ogbonna was convicted for his active role in a violent armed robbery that resulted in a security guard’s death.
The incident occurred on October 3, 2000, when robbers attacked an ELF petrol station on the Abeokuta-Lagos road, killing guard Moses Bankole and severely injuring another, Yusuf Akanni.
The gang stole a 10KVA Lister generator, with Ogbonna, a generator technician, allegedly loosening it from its secured position. Days later, police intercepted a vehicle hiding the stolen generator under firewood and water bags. Ogbonna was arrested after his accomplices fled, briefly escaped custody, and later led police to the generator’s buyer, who testified against him.
In 2003, the Ogun State High Court convicted Ogbonna of armed robbery, sentencing him to death.
This was commuted to life imprisonment in 2021, and he was released in 2025 under the Governor’s prerogative of mercy, which does not overturn the conviction.
