An Ogun State High Court, in Abeokuta issued a clarification on Friday, December 8, asserting that Hon. (Dr.). Oladipupo Adebutu, the Peoples Democratic Party Governorship Candidate in Ogun State, was not facing charges related to money laundering or vote buying. Justice Abiodun Akinyemi addressed this matter in response to a misleading report published on December 7, 2023.
Chief Gordy Uche, SAN, the Counsel to the defendants in the case filed by the Federal Government on vote buying, brought the fabricated report to the court’s attention. Uche emphasized that Adebutu had not been questioned or served any notice related to money laundering charges and condemned the concoction of false reports by certain individuals.
The court dismissed the inaccuracies in the fake report, including claims that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented witnesses and a motorcycle as evidence. Justice Akinyemi warned against spreading false information, urging the media to verify facts directly from court proceedings to maintain credibility.
Justice Akinyemi admonished the media, stating, “the Press should always be fair and truthful; when you publish wrong information, you bring your image to disrepute, I am appealing to you.”
The Federal Government’s case on vote buying involves charges against Ogunbona Hammed, Tiamiyu Waliu, Egunsola Owolabi, Moliki Badmus, and Sanni Adejoke. The arrests of Hammed, Waliu, Owolabi, and Badmus were made by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on March 18, 2023, the day of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections. They were found with 52 ATM cards, leading to further investigations.
Sanni Adejoke was separately arrested on the same day by the police in Agbado with similar ATM cards. Investigations revealed the suspects were members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Subsequently, Adebutu was listed for police questioning, but as of the current report, neither he nor the four others mentioned during the suspects’ interrogation have been interviewed or served with the matter.
The court resumed hearings on December 7, 2023, with the cross-examination of two witnesses presented by the Counsel to the Federal Government, Chief Rotimi Jacobs, SAN. So far, four witnesses have been cross-examined, and the matter has been adjourned until February 2024.
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Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
