The Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, on Wednesday, remanded a political party chieftain, Wahab Hammed, who allegedly bribed voters during the 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Justice Ismail Ijelu remanded the defendant in EFCC’s custody pending the review of the facts of the case.
Hammed was arraigned by the anti-graft agency on two counts bordering on conspiracy and bribery.
The charges were read and translated into Yoruba language to the defendant as he understood neither English nor Pidgin English.
He pleaded guilty to the two counts preferred against him.
During the arraignment, the EFCC’s prosecution counsel, Mr Samuel Daji, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offence on February 25, 2023.
He said he conspired with one Segun Ijitola (who is still at large), to pay voters during the 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections.
Daji said the defendant committed the offence at Unit 28, Gbaja Girls Junior High School, in Surulere, and noted they bribed voters at Unit 28.
According to him, the offences committed contravened Sections 121 (1) and (5); 121 (1) and 1 (3) of the Electoral Act 2022.
The prosecutor, however, asked the court to accommodate the matter on December 7, 2023, to enable the commission to fine-tune the facts for review.
The defendant’s counsel, Mr Olabiyi Ademola, urged the court to remand the defendant in the custody of the EFCC since the matter would be called on Thursday, December 7.
Consequently, Justice Ijelu ordered that the defendant be remanded in EFCC’s custody and should be produced on December 7 for review of facts and sentencing.
