Pat Stevens/
The Federal High Court in Abuja, today, fixed October 31 for the arraignment of the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in the September 22 election in Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, and four others, on charges of examination malpractices.
Justice I.E. Ekwo, during a brief hearing, directed the Inspector-General of Police to ensure all the five defendants were brought to court for arraignment on October 31.
“The prosecution is ordered to ensure the defendants are in court at the next date, to take their plea,” the judge ruled.
The police had on September 19, 2018 filed four counts of examination malpractices against Adeleke and his four co-accused.
The prosecutor, Mr. Simon Lough, informed the judge that the matter marked, FHC/ABJ/CR/156/2018, was coming up for the first time today.
Police accused the five defendants of committing examination malpractices by fraudulently registering Adeleke and another Sikiru Adeleke 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.
Charged 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.
While the four other defendants were present in court today, Adeleke was absent.
Adeleke’s counsel, Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), informed the judge that the governorship candidate was not in court because of ill health.
Izinyon said: “His Personal Assistant informed me yesterday (Sunday) that he was indisposed because he was stooling. He sent a sent medical report to that effect.”
Izinyon said he had served the medical report, showing his client was on medication, on the prosecution.
He pleaded with the court to grant a short adjournment to enable the first defendant to recover.
The prosecuting counsel acknowledged that the medical report had been served on him.
He also agreed with the defence that the court should grant a short adjournment.
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