After spending 26 years on death row at Kirikiri Prison in Lagos State for unknowingly buying a stolen generator, Ogbonna Igbojionu has reunited with his mother.
He’s from Abia State and was 22 years old at the time of his imprisonment in 1999.
Who sold the generator to him?
The generator was sold to him by Segun Ajibade.
He thought it was legitimate when he bought it. But two weeks later, Segun Ajibade returned, this time with the police, claiming it was stolen. Both men were arrested on the spot.
That moment marked the beginning of a nightmare. Ogbonna says he was beaten and coerced into signing a statement he couldn’t even read, it was written in Yoruba language.
Ogbonna Igbojionu has reunited with his mother after spending 26 years in prison
Arrested in 1999, he was sentenced to death in 2003 for allegedly purchasing stolen property. He was only 26 when his life was turned upside down and he was sent to death row at Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison.
Ogbonnaya spent 26 years behind bars at Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison. His youth, his freedom, and his future were stripped away. Meanwhile, Segun Ajibade the man who actually sold him the generator reportedly walked free in July 2016 after receiving a pardon from the Ogun State governor.
Ogbonnaya, along with co-accused Kolawole Oladeji (a technician) and others, endured a deeply flawed trial. They appealed the case, but were allegedly deceived into withdrawing it with false assurances of a pardon that never came.
In July 2025, a post by X user Olumide Ogunsanwo (known as Sea King), brought Ogbonnaya’s heartbreaking story to light, triggering widespread public outrage. Moved by the post, Enugu-based Simon Oshi visited Kirikiri Prison with a team of lawyers, confirmed Ogbonnaya’s Abia origins, and reached out to Governor Alex Otti of Abia State.
Governor Otti responded promptly. He dispatched the state’s Attorney General to investigate the matter, collaborated with officials in Lagos and Ogun States, and facilitated the release of Ogbonnaya, Olawale Adediji, and another inmate on July 6, 2025. However, the third inmate was unable to travel to Abia for the formal handover.
Ogbonna met with Governor Alex Otti
The reunion was deeply emotional. At the Abia State Government House that same day, Ogbonnaya, now 48, broke down in tears as he embraced his mother for the first time in 26 years.
A video of the moment quickly went viral, capturing both the heartbreak and the relief. He expressed heartfelt gratitude to Governor Otti for “giving me another chance at life.”
Kolawole Oladeji, the technician, was also released. He had merely repaired the generator, unaware it was stolen, yet he suffered the same fate. Governor Alex Otti has pledged to support both men’s reintegration, assigning commissioners to assist them in rebuilding their lives, and also promised to better their lives.
Meanwhile, Segun Ajibade, the real culprit, was granted a pardon in 2016 and quietly vanished from the public eye. Innocent men suffered while the guilty walked free. It’s a painful reminder of the deep flaws in our justice system.
Such a heartbreaking story! 🥺
