Senator Adeleke detained despite court’s permission to visit US for medical treatment

The Police, yesterday, detained the lawmaker representing Osun West senatorial district, Ademola Adeleke, with Frank Mba, force spokesman, saying Adeleke was detained in connection with ongoing criminal investigations against him.

However, in a statement, the Senator’s campaign organisation said Adeleke had honoured an invitation at the force headquarters in Abuja before he was detained.

This came as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, granted leave to Senator Ademola Adeleke to travel to the United States of America for medical treatment, even as it adjourned hearing on the examination malpractice charge against him till June 10.

The organisation said: “We alert the public, diplomatic and democracy community worldwide that the Nigerian Police has arrested and detained Senator Ademola Adeleke on old trumped up charges of certificate and testimonial forgery.

“Senator Adeleke had this (yesterday) morning honoured a Police invitation at the force headquarters, Abuja. He arrived at the force headquarters at 9a.m. and was not attended to until later this afternoon when he was informed of fresh charges of testimonial forgery.

“The distinguished Senator was taken to Maitama Police Station with plan to arraign him tomorrow at an undisclosed Magistrate’s Court.”

Court order

Meanwhile, the court further ordered the embattled lawmaker, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), in the last governorship election in Osun State, to honour an invitation that was extended to him by the Police, before travelling abroad.

However, trial Justice Iyang Ekwo stressed that Police should not stop Adeleke from embarking on the trip between May 7 and June 9.

The enrolled order of the court read: “An order of this honourable court is, hereby, made directing the Deputy Chief Registrar of the honourable court to release to the 1st defendant/applicant his international passport to enable him travel to the United States of America on 7th day of May of 2019 and return on the 9th day of June 2019 to enable him undergo urgent medical check-up.

“The 1st defendant (Adeleke) is ordered to respond to the invitation of the respondent on 6th May 2019.

“Thereafter, the 1st defendant is granted leave of court to travel out of Nigeria to the United States of America between 7th May 2019 and 9th June 2019 for medical attention.

“The 1st defendant/applicant is hereby ordered to return the international passport to the Registry of this court within three days of his return on 9th June 2019.

“The respondent shall not prevent the 1st defendant from travelling for medical attention upon attending the invitation of the respondent on 6th May 2019.”

Police had, in a seven-count charge it entered before the court, alleged that Adeleke who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last Governorship election in Osun State, fraudulently registered and sat for the June/July 2017 Senior School Certificate Examination that held in February 2017.

He was charged alongside his brother, Sikiru Adeleke, the Principal of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Ojo-Aro Osun State, Alhaji Aregbesola Mufutau, the School Registrar, Gbadamosi Thomas Ojo, and a teacher in the school, Dare Samuel Olutope.

In the amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/156/2018, and dated December 15, 2018, Police, maintained that the Defendants, committed examination malpractices by fraudulently, through impersonation, registering Adeleke and his brother, Sikiru, as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School in Osun State, for the National Examination Council, NECO, June/July 2017 Senior School Certificate Examination.

…as PDP alleges plot to poison Adeleke in Police detention  

Also, PDP said it has uncovered a plot by the Police to poison Senator Adeleke, describing the arrest as a total disregard for the extant order of the Federal High Court.

Addressing a press conference, National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan said the development is “highly provocative, an invitation to anarchy and recipe for a very serious crisis not only in Osun but also in the judiciary and our polity as a nation.”

While calling the Senator’s immediate release, PDP stressed that the demand “is predicated on fears already in the public space that there are plots by certain elements to poison him in detention.”