Court orders police to arrest PDP chieftain, Tope Aluko
The official statement reads
A Chief Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital has
ordered the State Commissioner of Police to arrest of former State
Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Temitope Aluko
over alleged perjury.
Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye gave this order today, upon a Motion
Ex-parte number MAD/10cm/2016, filed by the Ekiti State Government
against Mr Aluko and the State Commissioner of Police,
pursuant to
Section 117 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C16, law of Ekiti State
2012, Section 79 of the Ekiti State Administration of Criminal Justice
Law 2014 and Section 23 (D) of the Magistrates’ Courts Law 2014.
In the Motion, which was filed and moved by the State Director of
Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr Gbemiga Adaramola, an order of the court
was sought to issue warrant of arrest against Mr Aluko to be executed
by the State Commissioner of Police for the purpose of committing him
(Aluko) for trial for the offence of perjury.
Chief Magistrate Adegboye said the order was granted as a means for
the first defendant (Aluko) to attend the court for defence.
The matter was premised upon an application to the State Attorney
General by a lawyer, Mr Sunday Olowolafe, calling for the prosecution
of Mr Aluko for alleged perjury.
The legal practitioner said; “I hereby apply to your office that Dr
Temitope Kolawole Aluko be arrested and sued for perjury in view of
the interview recently granted on Channels Television by 8:00pm on
Sunday 31 January, 2016.
“The said Dr Temitope Kolawole Aluko now recanted the evidence he gave
in the cause of the hearing of the Ekiti State Governorship Election
Petition as a star witness even up to the Supreme Court. The Certified
True Copy of the State on Oath, evidence of Dr Temitope Kolawole Aluko
in Court on the 12/11/14 and Nigerian Tribune and The Punch newspapers
of Monday, 01/02/2016 that reported the interview granted are hereto
attached.
“It is to be noted that this if this act (Perjury) is not looked
into, it will definitely defile the cause of justice and consequently
rubbished the judicial proceedings.”
In the affidavit filed in support of the motion ex-parte by Special
Assistant to the State Governor on Public Communications and New
Media, Lere Olayinka, he said Mr Aluko, who was a witness before the
Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sworn to a Statement on Oath
on August 4, 2014 wherein he stated that the Election was not only
free and fair, but devoid of violence, thuggery, hooliganism,
snatching of ballot boxes, and related forms of electoral
disorderliness.
Olayinka further averred that Mr Aluko tendered and adopted his
Statement on Oath on November 12, 2014 and further gave evidence under
cross examination.
He stated that all what Aluko said on Channels Television on Sunday,
January 31, 2016 were contrary to and opposite in direction to his
evidence before the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition
Tribunal.
Issuing the warrant of arrest against Mr Aluko, Chief Magistrate
Adegboye said since the court had the power to grant the order and it
will serve the interest of justice, the State Commissioner of Police
should arrest Aluko for the purpose of investigating and prosecuting
him.
