Justice Ismail Ijelu of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, yesterday, sentenced a 70-year-old electoral offender, Wahab Hammed, to one year imprisonment for vote buying and bribery.

Hammed, an All Progressives Congress (APC) Surulere ward leader, was sentenced, following a review of facts in the case by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He had pleaded guilty to the two counts charge on Wednesday.

The anti-graft agency had accused the convict of vote buying and bribery, contrary to the provision of Sections 121 (1) and (5); 121 (1) and (3) of the Electoral Act 2022.

The prosecution counsel, Samuel Daji, during arraignment, told the court that suspected vote buyers had, on February 25, conspired with one Segun Ijitola, who is still at large, to pay voters during the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

Daji told the court that they committed the offences at Unit 28, Gbaja Girls Junior High School, Surulere, and said they bribed voters at the unit.

However, at the resumed proceeding, the court directed an interpreter to speak for Hammed, as the suspect claimed he did not understand English language or pidgin.

The prosecutor said while the commissions’ officers on election monitoring duties were at Surulere, Lagos, during the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Election, they received intelligence about the activities of individuals engaging in vote buying and bribery at polling unit 28, located at Gbaja Girls High School.

He said: “After receipt of the intelligence, a team of operatives were dispatched to the polling unit, and the defendant was seen sharing money to voters of his party. On citing the operatives of the commission, the voters ran away, while the defendant was arrested with the sum of N121,000.00.

“The defendant was brought to the commission’s office located at 15A Awolowo Road Ikoyi Lagos with the exhibit. He was interviewed and he made voluntary statements, where he stated that he was a ward leader of APC in Unit F3 Surulere, Lagos.

“He confessed that the money found with him was given to him by one Seun Ijtola, who is a Senior Special Assistant to Chairman Surulere Local Government, to bribe voters to vote for their party, APC. He confessed that he had bribed a few voters before he was arrested. The money was in N500 denomination.”

Justice Ijelu however asked the defendant if he understood the facts reviewed against him by the prosecutor.

The defendant answered in affirmative.

The judge, therefore, found him guilty and convicted him.

Before he was sentenced, the defendant pleaded for mercy with tears.

He said: “My Lord, I am an old man, above 70 years. I have never been arrested and I have no criminal case or record. I am also set for surgery slated for Saturday. Since I was arrested and detained, I have not been feeling well. I battle with high blood pressure and ulcer.”

He further pleaded that at his age, he would not have been involved in such an act if his children were employed.

The defendant’s counsel, Olabiyi Ademola, also pleaded that he had become remorseful and regretful of his action.

The judge sentenced him to one year imprisonment. He, however, gave him an option of N500,000.00 fine in each for the two counts charge against him.