Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
The Federal Government has charged the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18 governorship election in Ogun State, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu with conspiracy, bribery and money laundering for allegedly facilitating vote buying.
Also dragged to the State High Court alongside Adebutu is a leading Deposit Money Bank, Zenith Bank Plc, and its Managing Director, Dr Ebenezer Onyeagwu in connection with the alleged offence.
In the charge sheet of the case marked AB/10C/2023 filed at the High Court of Ogun State, Abeokuta Division and dated June 2, 2023, Adebutu, Messers Ogunbona Hammed, Tiamiyu Waliu, Egunsola Owolabi, Sanni Adegoke, Hon Dare Lukman Ogunleye, Dayo Fasina, Wasiu Enilolobo and Malik Badmus, were listed for prosecution by the Federal Government.
Four-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy contrary to Section 121 of the Electoral Act, 2022, bribery contrary to Section 121 of the Electoral Act, 2022, and two others touching on undue influence contrary to section 127 of the Electoral Act, 2022 were filed against them.
The charges were filed by the Director, Public Prosecutions of the Federation, M.B Abubakar; the Assistant Chief State Counsel, Aderonke Imana and Senior State Counsel, Bagudu Sani, on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
Also, Dr Ebenezer Onyeagwu, one Celestina Appeal and Zenith Bank Plc, were charged with failing to report suspicious transactions on verve cards with the inscription Dame Oladuni Memorial Endorsement Scheme for Less Privileged between February and March 2023.
The charge stated that failure to report suspicious transactions amounted to committing an offence contrary to section 7(1) (a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022; and while failing to verify the identity of customers carrying out electronic transactions on verve cards with the inscription Dame Oladuni Memorial Endorsement Scheme For Less privileged is an offence contrary to Section 37 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2022.
The particulars of the offence read that Adebutu and the co-accused “on or about 18th of March at Ibara, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire among yourselves to corruptly give gifts in form of verve prepaid cards which had inscribed on them ‘Dame Caroline Oladuni Adebutu Memorial Endorsement Scheme for Less Privileged’ in order to induce voters to endeavour the return of PDP candidates during the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections in Ogun State.”
Adebutu was further accused of facilitating 200,000 prepaid verve cards loaded with N10,000 each and inscribed with the same name “for the purpose of corruptly influencing voters to vote for PDP candidates” during the said elections.
However, the embattled PDP governorship candidate has since left Nigeria for abroad when it dawned on him that security agencies were allegedly closing in on him in connection with uncovering of a vote buying plot linked to him during the March 18 polls in Ogun State and an invitation was extended to him to explain his roles in it.
The PDP candidate had however claimed that he left the country following threats to his life but a letter made available to security agencies investigating his alleged alleged vote buying criminal activities, had indicated that he travelled abroad to seek medical care, and gave no indication of threat to life.
