The police on Thursday removed the name of a former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, from the charges of examination malpractices instituted against him and others at the Federal High Court in Abuja.The prosecuting counsel, Simon Lough, told the judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, that the decision to discontinue the case against Adeleke followed his continued absence from court since the court granted him permission to embark on a medical trip abroad in May 2019.The charges were amended to remove his name as a defendant while the rest of the co-defendants were retained to continue to face the trial.Adeleke, who contested the September 22, 2018 governorship election in Osun State and came second, was arraigned along with others before Justice Inyang Ekwo on October 31 of the same year.Others arraigned with 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.The prosecution accused the five defendants of committing the offence of examination malpractices by fraudulently, through impersonation, 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.It alleged that Ademola and Sikiru Adeleke were fraudulently registered for the examination and “awarded them seven credits, one pass and five credits respectively.”According to the prosecuting counsel, Lough, the offences were contrary to and punishable under the various provisions of the Examination Malpractices Act Cap E15 LFN 2004.Lough told Justice Ekwo on Thursday the prosecution had amended the charges so to remove Adeleke’s name so that his absence would not continue to stall the case.Defence lawyer, Dr Alex Izinyon (SAN), did not object to to the prosecution’s decision to amend the charges but insisted that his client be discharged and acquitted.Lough opposed the demand for discharge.Justice Ekwo is to rule on the disagreement between the two lawyers on Friday.
