Expelled Ijebu East Chairman Granted Bail By Court

By Akinwale Kasali

Wale Adedayo, the impeached Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area in Ogun State has been granted bail by Magistrate A.K Araba of the Magistrate Court in Isabo, Abeokuta, Ogun State Capital.

The Ogun State Police Command had arraigned Adedayo before the Court following the allegations of mismanagement and abuse of power leveled against him by seven councillors from the LG leading to his suspension and later expulsion.

In the ruling, Magistrate Araba admitted Adedayo to bail in the sum of N2 million and two ‘responsible and reliable sureties’ in like sum.

The Magistrate stated that the said sureties must be residents within the jurisdiction of the court and must possess landed property with tax clearance.

He, however, ordered his remand at Ibara Correctional facility, Abeokuta, pending perfection of the bail conditions, while adjourning the case till October 20, 2023 for trial.

It would be recalled that the genesis of Adedayo’s problem was when he accused the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun of diverting statutory Federal allocations of all the 20 LGs in the state.

He went further to petition the anti graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking Abiodun’s probe on the allegations.

Following his expulsion from office, he was grilled by the Department of State Security, DSS, of the Ogun State Police Command, leading to his impeachment on September 14th, 2023.

Operatives of the Police Command arrested him on Monday at Ijebu-Ife and moved him to the Police headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta.

He was arraigned on a two-count charge before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta, following a petition written by the state government on Tuesday.

The petition titled “Petition against Wale Adedayo’s deliberate circulation of falsehood, false report to government, threat to life and interference with the exercise of executive function” was signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi.

The two-count charge read “That you Hon. Wale Adedayo ‘m’ on the 27th August 2023 at Abeokuta in the Abeokuta Magisterial District did unlawfully publish the circular to the public, a letter addressed to the former Governor of Ogun State and Elder Stateman, Aremo Olusegun Osoba ‘m’ in which you accused the present Governor of Ogun State: Prince Dapo Abiodun ‘m’ of hijacking Local Government funds which you knew was a false allegation and likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or to disturb the public peace, knowing or having reason to believe that such statement is a rumour and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 59(1) of Criminal Code laws of Ogun State, 2006.

“That you Hon. Wale Adedayo ‘m’ on the same date and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District did unlawfully publish a circular to the public, a letter addressed to the former Governor of Ogun State and Elder Stateman, Aremo Olusegun Osoba ‘m’ in which you accused the present Governor of Ogun State; Prince Dapo Abiodun ‘m’ of hijacking Local Government funds (ten per cent (10%) of the State Internally Generated Revenue which the Constitution stipulate should go to the Local Government(s) since May 2019 which you knew was a false allegation and likely to injure the reputation of the Governor by exposing him to hatred, contempt or ridicule or to damage him in the discharge of his office and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 375 of Criminal Code laws of Ogun State, 2006.”

The Defendant’s Counsel, Kayode Akinsola, applied for the bail of the accused person, saying the offences allegedly committed are bailable.

The Prosecutor, Inspector Olaide Rawlings did not object to the bail application.