Dele Olugbemi, a former speaker of the Ekiti House of Assembly, and Tajero Adebayo were both given orders to be remanded in the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Center in connection with offences including attempted murder and fraud.
A Chief Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti issued the ruling on Tuesday.
Olugbemi, 48, and Adebayo, 42, whose addresses were not provided, are accused of conspiring, defrauding, attempting to kill someone, and making obscene threats.
Inspector Caleb Leramo, the police prosecutor, informed the court that the defendants committed the offenses in Ado-Ekiti on February 24 at 7:00 p.m. and on May 31 at 10:30 p.m.
Leramo said the defendants threatened violence against and attempted to murder one Chief Ogunyemi Aluko and another person.
He also quoted Aluko as saying in his statement to the police that one of the defendants threatened.
“I am a factional leader of Oodua People’s Congress in Ekiti State.”
“Hon. Olugbemi collected a sum of N400,000 from me under the pretence of recruiting 80 members of my group into Western Security Network, code-named ‘Amotekun’ at N5,000 per member, but none of them was shortlisted into the corps.
“When I requested a refund of my money, he started using his former office to threaten to deal with me.
“On May 31, he came to my house at 10:30 p.m. with four boys who were armed with guns, cutlasses and broken bottles.
“I was beaten mercilessly, and I sustained injuries to my head before I narrowly escaped from the scene,” the victim’s statement read.
According to the prosecutor, the offences contravene Sections 421, 329(1)(a), 241(a), and 46 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti, 2021.
He prayed the court to remand the defendants to a correctional centre, pending legal advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecution.
The pleas of the defendants were, however, not taken.
The Chief Magistrate, Saka Afunso, ordered the remand of the defendants in the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre, pending the issuance of legal advice.
He, thereafter, adjourned the case till July 3 for mention.
