Abuja –Â Senator Ademola Adeleke, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 22, 2018 election in Osun State, was on Wednesday arraigned before Justice Edward Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Adeleke and four others were docked on a four-count charge of examination malpractices filed against them by the police.
Ibrahim Idris, the Inspector General of Police, through the prosecuting counsel, Simon Lough, had on September 19, 2018 filed the charge against Adeleke and his four co-accused.
Charged by the police, alongside Adeleke, were Sikiru Adeleke, the principal of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School; Alhaji Aregbesola Muftau, the registrar of the school; Gbadamosi Ojo, and a teacher in the school, Dare Samuel Olutope.
The police accused the five defendants of committing examination malpractices through impersonation, registering Adeleke and another Sikiru Adeleke, as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, in Ojo-Aro in Osun State, for the National Examination Councilâ€
s June/July 2017 Senior School Certificate Examination in February 2017.
At Wednesdayâ€s sitting, the defendants all pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/156/2018.
After the Police Prosecutor, Simeon Lough, requested for a date for the commencement of trial, Alex Izinyon (SAN), representing Adeleke (first defendant), informed the court of his clientâ€s bail application dated October 12 and filed same day.
When the court sought the reaction of the prosecutor, Lough told Justice Ekwo that he was not opposed to the bail application because, according to him, Adeleke was granted administrative bail and he did not abuse it.
Therefore, in exercise of his discretion, Justice Ekwo granted Adeleke bail on self-recognition, being a serving senator.
However, the court warned Adeleke not to travel without leave of court, directing that he deposit his international passport with the registrar of the court.
The court ordered that Adeleke sign a bond that he would always appear in court throughout the duration of his trial.
Justice Ekwo, however, stressed that the court would be at liberty to revoke the bail if Adeleke violated any of the bail terms.
Similarly, M. O. Oke, counsel to Sikiru Adeleke (second defendant) and Abdulsalam Abdufatai, representing the third defendant (Alhaji Aregbesola Muftau), all moved their bail applications.
In its ruling, the court also admitted the second and third defendants on bail in the sum of N2 million each, with one surety in like sum.
The court held that both defendants must not travel outside the courtâ€s jurisdiction without permission.
Justice Ekwo further directed the defendants to deposit original copies of title deeds of their landed property as well as deposit their international passports. The title deeds must be verified by the court.
More so, the court ordered that the two defendants be remanded in prison pending the perfection of their bail condition.
In respect of the two other defendants, the registrar of the school, Gbadamosi Ojo (fourth defendant), and a teacher in the school, Dare Samuel Olutope (fifth defendant), the court remanded them in prison.
Effort by counsel to the 2nd defendant to move their bail applications orally was rejected by the court.
The fourth and fifth defendants did not have any lawyer, and that explained the reason nobody moved bail applications on their behalf.
Meanwhile, the court has adjourned to December 17, 18, and 19 for commencement of trial.
Count one, amongst others, reads: “That you Senator Ademola Adeleke ‘Mâ€, 57 years of 68 Ijuede Street, Ede North, Osun State; Sikiru Adeleke, ‘Mâ€, 42 years of Country Home 2, Ede North, Osun State; Alh. Aregbesola Mufutau, ‘Mâ€, 58 years, principal of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Ojo-Aro, Osun State; Gbadamosi Thomas Ojo, ‘Mâ€, 50 years, registrar of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School Ojo-Aro, Osun State, and Dare Samuel Olutope, ‘Mâ€, 46 years, teacher at Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Ojo-Aro, Osun State on or about February, 2017 at Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Ojo-Aro, Osun State, within the jurisdiction of this court conspired together to commit felony to wit: examination malpractices and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 10 of the Examination Malpractices Act Cap E15 LFN 2004.â€�
The post Exam Malpractice: Senator Adeleke Arraigned, Granted Bail appeared first on Independent Newspapers Nigeria.
Exam Malpractice: Senator Adeleke Arraigned, Granted Bail
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