Ogbonna Igbojionu, a native of Abia State, has emerged victorious after spending 26 years on death row at Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Lagos. He was just 22 years old in 1999 when he was arrested and convicted for unknowingly purchasing a stolen generator — a crime that led to a death sentence. Now 48, Ogbonna stepped out of prison a free man after a long and harrowing legal ordeal, during which he consistently maintained his innocence.
His case, like many others, highlights deep flaws in Nigeria’s justice system — particularly in how poor and unconnected individuals can be handed severe punishments without adequate legal representation.
Tears flowed as Ogbonna reunited with his ageing mother, who had prayed and waited for decades to see her son again. Their emotional embrace marked a bittersweet moment — a mixture of joy, pain, and lost years. Human rights groups and legal advocates who helped secure his release are now calling for urgent reform of the justice system, especially around the use of capital punishment for non-violent crimes and the treatment of suspects who cannot afford proper legal counsel.
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