Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has secured the release of Ogbonnaya Igbojionu, a native of the state, along with two other Nigerians who had spent 26 years in prison and were sentenced to death in connection with a disputed generator theft case.

Presenting the freedmen to Governor Otti, Hon. Simon Oshi from Enugu State, who facilitated the intervention, recounted how the matter came to his attention through popular social media influencer, Olumide Ogunsanwo, known online as “Sea King.”

“When the influencer shared the case online, I decided to investigate it myself,” Oshi said. “I went to Kirikiri Prison with a team of lawyers and met the inmates. During the visit, one of them, Ogbonnaya Igbojionu, told me he was from Abia State. I promised him I would speak with his governor.”

Oshi explained that Igbojionu and his co-accused were convicted in 2003 and sentenced to death for allegedly purchasing a stolen generator. He said that after verifying the case, he immediately contacted Governor Otti.

“Without delay, His Excellency sent the Attorney General of Abia State to Kirikiri Prison to verify the facts. When he confirmed the situation, the governor wrote to his counterpart in the state where the men were held and pushed for their release,” Oshi said.

Following sustained efforts, the three inmates were eventually freed. While two were physically present during the presentation, the third could not make the trip to Abia.

Governor Otti, in his remarks, thanked Hon. Oshi for his persistence and applauded the role played by the social media influencer. He said the influencer’s own brief detention might have been divinely orchestrated to draw attention to the plight of the wrongly convicted men.

The governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to justice and human dignity, assuring that Abians would continue to receive support and protection under his leadership.

Hon. Oshi commended Governor Otti for his swift action and compassionate leadership, declaring that the people of Abia would not forget such a humane gesture when the time comes to vote again.

‎”A typical Nigerian would say it doesn’t concern me, but because you’re a very good person, you took it upon yourself. If you didn’t bring it to my attention, I wouldn’t have known.

‎”So, by the time we enquired, the twist was that they were in Lagos, but it was an Ogun State matter.

“I want to use this opportunity to also thank my brother, Governor, colleague, and friend, Dapo Abiodun, for also following through and being consistent.

‎”When I brought it to his attention and wrote the letter, he acknowledged it and said he was going to work on it.

“Just last week, I was away when he called me outside the country and said they have now been released.

‎”For us, justice is everything. You can have all the money in the world, but if you don’t contribute to building a fair and just society, your money is useless.

‎”We’ll all come and go. People leave so much behind. Once you close your eyes and don’t open them, that’s it. That’s the end.

“Whatever you would have accumulated and acquired would become useless,” the Governor stated.

‎Governor Otti, who assured that his government would give them the necessary support to bounce back to life, directed the Commissioner for Local Government and his Power and Public Utilities counterpart, who were present at the event, to work with the relevant Departments of government to ensure that they are reintegrated back into the society.

‎”It may not be their direct role, but I’m giving them the assignment to work with the relevant parts of government to ensure that they are reintegrated back into society.

‎”We will support you and get you back into society. Having said that, I want to welcome you back to this part of the world. Thank God for keeping you up to this time,” Gov. Otti added.

‎While thanking the Governor on behalf of his fellow condemned but freed and released inmates, Mr. Ogbonnaya Igbojionu, an indigene of Ikwuano LGA, narrated his ordeal, saying that as a dealer in generating sets, he bought a generator from one Segun Ajibade in 1999, and sold it only to see the person that sold the generator to him, coming back after two weeks to his shop with the police.

‎According to him, in what appears to be an arrangement, they beat him up and forced him to sign a statement they wrote by themselves while refusing to let him read through the statement.

‎He was taken to court and sentenced to death, where he stayed from 1999 when he was remanded in prison till 2003 when he was sentenced to death until 2025, making it 26 years of incarceration.

He thanked the Almighty God for using Governor Otti to spare their lives.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu and his Power and Public Utilities counterpart, Engr. Ikechukwu Monday was present at the meeting.