Ogun commissioner remanded for electoral offences in Ondo

The Commissioner for Education in Ogun State, Yemi Akinwonmi, and six others were on Monday remanded in prison custody till April 27 by an Akure Chief Magistrate Court for alleged electoral offences. Also remanded alongside Akinwonmi, are Wasiri Buari, 41; Ikuajuwajo Oluremi, 38; Salami Morufu, 43; Oluwole Oluwaseun, 26; Olorunsola Fadugba, 44; and Omokuwajo Fadugba, 44. They were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Siji Akinsola. The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Isah Atangbe, said the accused were arrested by the Police at Araromi Estate in Ore on Saturday at about 10.00am when the National Assembly election was already in progress. They were arraigned on a five-count charge of being in possession of various dangerous items meant for the purpose of terrorising members of the public, contrary to section 516 of the criminal code, Cap 30 laws of Ondo State. Specifically, the commissioner and his team were accused of being in possession of one double barrel gun; one cut-to-size gun; two live cartridges; and four expended cartridges. Also found on them, according to the charge sheet, were 92 voter cards, one extra vehicle number plate with registration number Ogun AV 897 AAB; and six wraps of Indian hemp. Although the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges, the Chief Magistrate ordered that they be remanded in prison custody till April 27, when their bail application would be considered. In a related development, a senior official with the National Population Commission in Ondo State, Rev. Pirisola Abayomi, was arrested by soldiers on Saturday at Agadagba, in the Ese-Odo Local Government of the state for being in possession of electoral materials. Abayomi, who is an ad-hoc staff working as a supervisor for the Independent National Electoral Commission in the area, was said to have been arrested based on a tip-off from the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Kuku. The man was arrested by soldiers, who in turn handed him over to the police and detained and arraigned. He was accused of an attempt to divert election materials but he pleaded not guilty on the grounds that it was his driver who took him to a wrong place since he was not familiar to the terrain. Chief Magistrate Akinsola, however ordered that Abayomi should be discharged and acquitted on Monday when the case was brought before him. The State Director of the NPC, Mrs. Foluke Akinboro, told our correspondent at the court premises on Monday that Abayomi was arrested in error while he was waiting for his other colleagues to conduct election in his polling centre. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Joseph Ibi, while confirming the two developments said that about 38 others arrested in connection with the Saturday election would be arraigned in court on Tuesday (today). By Sunday Aborisade Courtesy Of: Punch