The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned four people in the Osun State High Court in Osogbo on Monday for alleged voter inducement.
The defendants are Adeyemo Bahiru Abiodun, Abidogun Ismail, Jimoh Kazeem, and Yekini Nurudeen Abiodun.
The prosecution counsel for the commission, Sesan Ola and Andrew Akoja, told the court that the defendants were arrested by its officers during the state’s governorship election on July 16.
Ola stated that the defendants were apprehended at various polling units after credible information that they were trading votes for cash in order to sway voters toward a particular political party.
He said: “Adeyemi, Abidogun, and Jimoh were arrested at Polling Unit 002, Ward 2, Ababu, Isale Osun, while Abiodun was picked up at Unit 2, Isale Agbara, Oshogbo.”
He stated the offence violated sections 121 (5) and 121 (1) (a), as well as section 121 (1) of the Electoral Act of 2022.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The lead defence counsel, Mr. N. Adekilekun, urged the court to grant his clients’ bail in the most liberal terms.
The defendants’ bail was granted in the sum of N2 million with one surety each in a like sum.
Agboola said the sureties must be civil servants on Grade Level 13 in the State Civil Service and must deposit their identity cards with recent passport photographs to the court’s Registrar.
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