Akure – A 30-year-old  housewife, Ojulayo Bosede, has been charged before an Akure Chief  Magistrates’  Court on a one-count charge of  illegal possession of  a voter’s card.

The accused and mother of   three children was arrested on  Saturday at Isua Akoko with a voter’s card belonging to  one Abu Lorenta Aina.

The police prosecutor, Mr Isah Atanegbe,  said  Bosede of  Agbagi Quarters, Isua,  was nabbed at about 11 a.m.  on the election day with the voter’s card  which had   registration number Vin: 030DDA5928296037003 and PU: 28/03/10/004.

This, he said,  was  apart from her own card, adding that the  offence  was contrary to and punishable under section 127 (2) of   the Electoral Act 2010.

But the accused person,  who elected to be summarily tried by the court,  pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor informed the court that he had three witnesses to call, adding that  only one of  them was in court as the rest were INEC officials.

He asked for an adjournment to enable him  bring in  his witnesses as well as  study the case file.

Counsel to the accused,  Adedefa Oni,  did not oppose  the application for adjournment but pleaded with the court to grant bail to his client  in liberal terms.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Siji Akinrinsola, granted bail to the accused  in the sum of N10,000 and one credible surety in like sum who must reside in the magisterial district.

He  adjourned the case to June 1  for mention.

Court remands 7 in prison for electoral offences

Bauchi –  A Bauchi Magistrates’ Court has remanded seven persons in prison custody for electoral offences.

The suspects — Musa Adamu, Hassan Muhammad, Haladu Muhammad, Ibrahim Saidu, Hassan Alhaji Musa, Hussaini Makama and Mohammed Adamu — are aged between 20 and 25.

They were arrested at Papa village in the Darazo Local Government Area of Bauchi State during last Saturday’s National Assembly elections.

Prosecutor Baba Sarki Mohammed, who read the First Information Report, said on Tuesday that the suspects were charged with criminal conspiracy, snatching of a ballot box containing electoral materials and possession of offensive weapons.

According to the prosecutor, the suspects had on April 9 while armed with dangerous weapons attacked electoral officers deployed to Garin Abare in the council area on their way to the polling station and snatched a ballot box containing ballot materials.

He said the suspects were arrested by police detectives while thumb-printing ballot papers in a private residence owned by Saidu Aliyu and Mustapha Bako Sade, now at large.

Mohammed said the offences contravened Section 96 of the Penal Code and Section 4 of the Electoral Act.

After the charges were read to the suspects, they said they understood the offences.

Magistrate Isa Mohammed ordered that the suspects be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case to July 28 for mention. (NAN)