The police in Ogun State have brought charges against Wale Adedayo, the impeached chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area. Adedayo was arraigned before a magistrate court located in the Isabbo area of Abeokuta on Tuesday. He faced two counts, one related to the publication of an unlawful circular and another for making false allegations of fund diversion against Governor Dapo Abiodun.
The prosecutor, Adeyemi Olukoya, explained to the court that Adedayo’s actions violated sections 59(1) and 375 of the criminal code laws of Ogun State, 2006. The charges stated that Adedayo unlawfully published a circular accusing Governor Dapo Abiodun of hijacking local government funds, which he knew to be false, and thus, likely to cause fear and alarm among the public. This action was contrary to and punishable under section 59(1) of the Criminal Code laws of Ogun State, 2006.
Additionally, Adedayo was charged with unlawfully publishing a circular in which he accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of diverting local government funds, specifically the ten percent of Internally Generated Revenue allocated to the local governments since May 2019. This false allegation was deemed likely to injure the reputation of the Governor, exposing him to hatred, contempt, or ridicule, and thus, violating Section 375 of the Criminal Code laws of Ogun State, 2006.
Adedayo pleaded not guilty to these charges, and the presiding magistrate, Justice A.K. Araba, granted him bail in the sum of N2 million. The bail conditions required two “responsible and reliable sureties” residing within the court’s jurisdiction, who must possess landed property and provide tax clearance documents. The case was adjourned until October 20, 2023, for further proceedings.
Previously, Adedayo had announced his arrest on his Facebook page, claiming that the Ogun State government had filed a petition against him.
It’s worth noting that Adedayo had accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of diverting federal allocation funds due to the state’s local governments and mismanaging Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) funds in a letter addressed to former Governor Chief Olusegun Osoba on August 29, 2023. In response, Governor Abiodun denied these allegations on August 30, 2023, stating that his administration had augmented funds allocated to local governments in the state to meet their obligations.