Impeached LG boss charged to court by Ogun police for accusing Abiodun falsely.

The impeached Ijebu East Local Government Area chairman, Wale Adedayo, was charged by Ogun State police on Tuesday before a magistrate court sitting in the Isabbo neighborhood of Abeokuta.

Adedayo was charged with two charges related to the dissemination of an unlawful publication and a false claim of fund misappropriation by Governor Dapo Abiodun before Justice A.K. Araba.

Adeyemi Olukoya, the prosecutor, informed the court that Adedayo committed offenses that violated and were punished by sections 59(1) and 375 of the Ogun State Criminal Code Laws of 2006.

The charge read, “That you Hon. Wale Adedayo m’ on the 27h August 2023 at Abeakuta in the Abeokuta Magisterial Districtrict 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’ hijacking Local Government funds which you knew was false allegation and likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or to disturb the public pcace, knowing or having reason to believe that such statement is false 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 Dapa Abiodun ‘m’ hijacking Local Government fund (ten per cent (10%) of Internally Generated Revenue which the Constitution stipulate should go to the Local Governments) 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 pleaded not guilty to the counts.

In her judgment, Araba granted the defendant bail to the tune of N2m and required two “responsible and reliable sureties” residing within the court’s jurisdiction, possessing landed property with tax clearance. The case was adjourned till October 20, 2023, for further hearing.

Adedayo had on Monday announced on his Facebook page that he had been arrested by men of the Ogun state police force.
The post read, “Son of man is being taken to Ogun State Police CID at Eleweran, Abeokuta. They claim the State Government wrote a petition against me. If it is death, I follow the path of the Patriarchs. Ase di owo Olodumare!”

It was reported that the Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, Wale Adedayo, has accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of diverting the statutory Federal Allocation due to the state’s Local Governments in the last two years.

Adedayo, in a letter written to former Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, on August 29, 2023, and obtained by our correspondent alleged that over N10.8bn fund of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme was also diverted by the governor.

Adedayo said that the governor also misappropriated approximately N10.8 billion from the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme in a letter he sent to the former governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, on August 29, 2023.

The head of the local government claimed that since Abiodun allegedly took office, the 10% of state internally generated revenue that the constitution also mandated should go to the local government has not been provided.

On August 30, 2023, the governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, responded by denying the claim that he had diverted the statutory federal allocation owed to the state’s local governments during the previous two years.

The governor claimed that in order for the council chairmen to fulfill their duties, his administration would have to increase the monies given to local governments in the state.