BREAKING: Nigerian Technician Kolawole Freed After 22 Years On Death Row Over Generator Repair Case

Kolawole Oladeji, 64, Gains Freedom Alongside Co-Convict as Social Media Advocacy Shines Light on Forgotten Case

After spending 22 years on death row for a crime he insists he never committed, a 64-year-old Nigerian technician, Kolawole Oladeji, has finally regained his freedom.

Oladeji, who was convicted and sentenced to death in January 2003 over a generator theft case, was released earlier this week alongside Ogbona Igbojionu, who was convicted in the same case. Their release marks the end of a long and harrowing journey through Nigeria’s justice system — a case many believe should never have led to such a sentence.

Arrested for Repairing a Generator

The ordeal began in October 1999 when a generator was brought to Oladeji’s workshop for repairs. According to Oladeji, he was unaware that the generator was stolen. Nevertheless, he was arrested, tried, and subsequently sentenced to death by hanging on January 14, 2003, alongside three others — Igbojionu, Sunday Oloyede, and Segun Ajibade.

In a voice recording obtained earlier this year, Oladeji said:

“I was only a technician. I didn’t know the generator was stolen. I repaired it as I would any customer’s generator. That was all.”

Co-Accused Freed Before Him

Oladeji alleged that one of the co-accused, Segun Ajibade — the person who allegedly brought in the generator — was released in 2016 under the administration of former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

“The man who brought the generator was released long ago because he had people in power. But I was left to rot,” Oladeji recounted. “Since then, my mother and my wife have died. I’ve had no one.”

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Legal Battles and Pleas for Clemency

In 2018, Oladeji’s appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in Ibadan after his lawyer, M.I. Omojola, withdrew the appeal in a filing dated March 2, 2018. With dwindling legal options, Oladeji wrote a heartfelt letter to Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun in 2020, pleading for clemency.

In the letter, he wrote:

“I am pleading for total pardon and freedom out of this correctional facility so that I can reunite with my family. I promise never to disappoint this state or Nigeria again.”

Social Media Advocacy Brings Breakthrough

The turning point came when the case was picked up by popular TikTok influencer and justice advocate, Olumide Ogunsanwo, known as Seaking. Using his platform, Seaking drew attention to the prolonged incarceration, creating viral content and mobilizing public sympathy that pressured authorities to act.

The release of Oladeji and Igbojionu is seen as a triumph for digital advocacy, highlighting the growing role of social media in seeking justice for the voiceless.

Questions Remain

While Oladeji and Igbojionu are now free, the status of the remaining convicts, Oloyede and Ajibade, remains uncertain. Oladeji claims Ajibade has since walked free, but no official confirmation has been issued regarding the others.

Human rights advocates have decried the case as a stark reflection of Nigeria’s legal failings — where prolonged pretrial detentions, lack of legal representation, and systemic delays leave many like Oladeji languishing behind bars for decades.

A Second Chance at Life

As he steps out of prison after over two decades, Oladeji’s only wish is simple: to start over.

“I just want to go home,” he said quietly, his voice filled with emotion and exhaustion.

His story is a tragic but powerful reminder of the lives that can be saved when justice meets advocacy — and when forgotten voices are finally heard.