Man freed after 26 years on death row for buying stolen generator

Ogbonna Igbojionu, a native of Abia State, has finally regained his freedom after spending 26 years on death row at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Lagos—for unknowingly buying and reselling a stolen generator.

Ogbonna was only 22 years old in 1999 when he purchased a generator from a man named Segun Ajibade and later sold it to a third party.

Just two weeks later, Ajibade returned with police, claiming the generator had been stolen. Both men were arrested immediately.

Ogbonna’s ordeal began that day and spiraled into a two-decade-long nightmare.

He claims he was tortured and forced to sign a statement he couldn’t read.

Without legal representation, he was remanded and, in 2003, sentenced to death for receiving stolen property. He was just 26 at the time.

For the next 26 years, Ogbonna languished on death row—isolated, forgotten, and hopeless—until early 2025, when Nigerian TikToker and activist Olumide Ogunsanwo, known as Sea King, brought his story to light on social media.

The viral video sparked national outrage and calls for justice.

Moved by the story, philanthropist Simon Oshi from Enugu took it upon himself to trace Ogbonna’s family roots and verify his claims.

He contacted Abia State Governor Alex Otti, who quickly ordered a legal review of the case.

The Abia State Attorney General, in collaboration with officials from Lagos and Ogun States, launched an investigation that uncovered glaring miscarriages of justice.

On July 6, 2025, the Lagos State Government released Ogbonna alongside two other men—Kolawole Oladeji, a technician who had only repaired the generator, and Olawale Adediji—both victims of flawed investigations and wrongful convictions.

Ironically, Ajibade—the man who sold the stolen generator and alerted police—was pardoned in 2016 and has since disappeared from public view.

Ogbonna’s reunion with his elderly mother at the Abia State Government House was an emotional moment that captured the hearts of Nigerians nationwide.

Videos of the tearful embrace quickly went viral, further fueling demands for urgent criminal justice reform.

“I thank Governor Alex Otti for giving me another chance at life,” Ogbonna said.

“Many people died in that prison. I never thought I’d come out alive.”

Governor Otti assured that the state would fully support the reintegration of Ogbonna and the others, including providing psychological support, housing, and vocational training.

“It’s not enough to set them free—we must help them heal and rebuild,” he stated.

The case has reignited widespread concerns about wrongful convictions, the lack of access to legal representation, and the need for sweeping reforms in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

Human rights lawyer Chinedu Mordi called the case a “damning reflection of systemic failure,” warning that countless others may still be rotting in jail for crimes they didn’t commit.

As Ogbonna begins the slow process of rebuilding a life that was stolen from him at just 22, his story serves as a painful reminder of a broken justice system—and a beacon of hope for those still trapped within it.