Federal Government Dragged Dancing Senator, Adeleke To Court

The Federal Government has charged PDP candidate in the contentious Osun governorship election, Senator Ademola Adeleke (Osun West) and four others before the Federal High Court, Abuja with alleged examination malpractices.

Adeleke and others were accused, in a four-count charge filed in the name of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of fraudulently registering as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Ojo-Aro, Osun State to enable them sit for the National Examination Council (NECO) examination of June/July 2017.

Named with Adeleke, in the charge are: Sikiru Adeleke, Alhaji Aregbesola Mufutau (the principal of the school), Gbadamosi Thomas Ojo (school Registrar) and Dare Samuel Olutope (the teacher).

Adeleke was absent when the case was called yesterday.

His lawyer, Alex Izinyon (SAN), told the court that his client took ill on Friday and had been stooling.

Izinyon said a copy of a medical report was available to that effect. He said Adeleke suddenly took ill at the weekend, but was getting better.

He sought a postponement of the arraignment.

Prosecution lawyer, Simon Lough, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), said he was in receipt of the medical report on the health condition of the 1st defendant (Adeleke).

He said he was not averse to a short adjournment as sought by Izinyon. He said the defendants were released on the administrative bail granted them by the police.

Lawyers to the other defendants also agreed to a short adjournment, following which Justice I. E. Ekwo adjourned till October 31 for arraignment.

Justice Ekwo said: “The prosecution is ordered to ensure the defendants are in court at the next date, to take their plea.”

Izinyon has represented the IGP in some major cases. He represented the IGP in the cases against his invitation by the Senate over Senator Dino Melaye’s trial and the Offa robbery case in Abuja.

In the first count preferred against the defendants, the prosecution alleged that the five defendants “conspired 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”.

In count 2, the prosecution alleged that the three members of staff of the school acted in concert by aiding and abetting “the commission of examination malpractice by personation” when they allegedly “registered Senator Ademola Adeleke and Sikiru Adeleke” while knowing or having “reasons to believe that they are not students of the school”.

The alleged offence is said to be contrary to Section 9(1) of the Examination Malpractices Act Cap E15 LFN 2004.

In count three, the two Adelekes were accused of acting in concert, and “personated as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School when you fraudulently registered as students of the school in the June/July, 2017 NECO”.

The offence is said to be contrary to Section 3(2) of the Examination Malpractices Act Cap E15 LFN 2004.

The fourth count accused the three members of staff of the school of “acting in concert” and while “saddled with the responsibilities of registering students of your school in the June/July 2017 NECO examination, breached that duty by registering Senator Ademola Adeleke and Sikiru Adeleke as students of your school in the June/July 2017 NECO examination when you know or had reasons to believe that they are not students of the school”.

The fourth count was said to be contrary to Section 10(a) and punishable under Section 3(2) of the Examination Malpractices Act Cap E15 LFN 2004.