Police arraign Senator Adeleke on four-count charge

The Osun State People’s Democratic Party governorship candidate in the September 22 election, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has been arraigned Wednesday at a Federal High Court in Abuja on a four-count charge.

Adeleke with four others was accused by the police for alleged examination malpractice at the Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School in Osun state.

Arraigned alongside Adeleke were Sikiru Adeleke, who also sat for the examination; principal of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Alhaji Aregbesola Muftau; the school’s registrar, Gbadamosi Ojo; and Dare Olutope, a teacher at Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School

The five defendants were accused of committing the offence of examination malpractices by fraudulently, through impersonation, registering Adeleke and Sikiru, as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, in Ojo-Aro in Osun State, for the National Examination Council’s June/July 2017 Senior School Certificate Examination in February 2017.

The defendants have all pleaded not guilty, while Adeleke also alleged a political witchhunt.

The judge, Justice I E, Ekwo, in the sitting on Wednesday, granted three of them, including Adeleke, who had filed their separate bail applications ahead of the arraignment, were granted bail.

The judge granted Adeleke based on his status as a senator, however, he stated that the senator must enter a bond to assure the court that would be present in court for his trial.

Justice Ekwo also told Adeleke to leave his passport with the registrar of the court and that the senator had to get the permission of the court before he travels out of the country.

The two others were granted bail in the sum of N2m each with one surety each who must be a “responsible” citizen and owner of landed property in Abuja.

The Judge also directed them to deposit their passports with the court’s registry. He noted that they must get the permission of the court before travelling out of the country.

Adeleke was represented by Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), the second defendant was represented by Mr. Nathaniel Oke (SAN) and the third defendant by Mr. Abdusalami Abdulfatai.

The fourth and the fifth defendants were not represented by any lawyer on Wednesday.

‎The two of them were remanded in prison due to the absence of their lawyer and failure to file their bail applications ahead of the proceedings.

Adeleke lost to the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Gboyega Oyetola, in the governorship election while he is the state election tribunal to challenge the result.