Governor Otti Grants Freedom to Three Inmates After 26 Years on Death Row
In a rare display of political compassion and social justice, Abia State Governor Alex Otti has secured the release of three Nigerians who spent 26 years on death row at Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Lagos. The men, including Ogbonnaya Igbojionu from Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, walked free thanks to a chain of unexpected heroes: a social media influencer, a determined Good Samaritan, and a governor willing to act.
It all began when Simon Oshi, a native of Enugu State, stumbled across a gripping story online. Popular influencer Olumide Ogunsanwo, better known as “Sea King,” shared the heartbreaking tale of three men rotting in prison since the late ‘90s over what appeared to be a dubious generator deal gone wrong.
Oshi didn’t scroll past. Instead, he paid a visit to Kirikiri Prison alongside Sea King and a team of lawyers to verify the story. When he met Igbojionu, Oshi realized the man hailed from Abia State. For Oshi, that was a sign to reach out to Governor Otti. He did, and as he anticipated, the governor was willing to help.
Governor Otti wasted no time. He asked the Abia State Attorney General to dig up the facts and confirm the men’s story. The details were disturbing. Igbojionu, a dealer in power generators, said he bought a generator from one Segun Ajibade in 1999. Two weeks later, Ajibade came back with police officers, claiming the generator had been stolen. According to Igbojionu, officers beat him up and forced him to sign a confession he never got to read. By 2003, he was sentenced to death. He stayed locked up until last week.
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The three inmates’ case turned out to have ties to both Ogun and Lagos States. So, once Otti confirmed the details, he reached out to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State. In Otti’s words, his Ogun counterpart did not hesitate. Abiodun acknowledged the letter, promised action, and followed through. Last week, while Otti was abroad, Abiodun called him to share the news: the men had finally been released.
On Saturday, Governor Otti welcomed the newly freed men, or at least two of them. Igbojionu and Olawale Adediji made the journey to Abia Government House. The third inmate could not travel with them immediately. But the relief on Igbojionu’s face told the story of someone who had beaten the odds and the system that nearly buried him alive.
Speaking to reporters, Otti made it clear that justice matters more than wealth or titles. “You can accumulate all the wealth you want, but if you don’t build a just society, it’s meaningless,” he said. He praised Oshi for refusing to look away and Ogunsanwo for using his platform to amplify a story that might have stayed buried.
To ensure the men don’t just walk into another prison called poverty, Otti directed his Commissioner for Local Government, Uzor Nwachukwu, and his Power and Public Utilities counterpart, Ikechukwu Monday, to work with relevant agencies to help the men rebuild their lives. He wants them reintegrated, not forgotten.
Igbojionu, speaking for the group, could hardly contain his gratitude. “From 1999, I stayed in prison waiting for death,” he said. “Governor Otti gave me life again. God used him to rescue me from the jaws of death.”
The story, beyond its dramatic twists, shines a light on how a single post on social media can spark real change. It’s also a reminder that leadership isn’t always about grand projects and ribbon-cuttings. Sometimes, it’s about listening, verifying, and acting, especially when the people caught in the cracks of a broken system have no one else to call.
As the ex-inmates begin their long journey back into society, they do so with hope and a new chance to live free from the shadows of a prison they never deserved.
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