Vote buying: FG accuses Adebutu and others of money laundering, bribery, and criminal conspiracy

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the March 18 governorship election in Ogun State, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, has been charged by the Federal Government along with a top deposit money bank, Zenith Bank Plc, and its managing director, Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, with conspiracy, bribery, and money laundering.

Adebutu, along with Messers Ogunbona Hammed, Tiamiyu Waliu, Egunsola Owolabi, Sanni Adegoke, Hon. Dare Lukman Ogunleye, Dayo Fasina, Wasiu Enilolobo, and Malik Badmus, is being prosecuted by the Federal Government on a four-count charge, including one count of criminal conspiracy contrary to Section 121 of the Electoral Act, 2022,

On behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, M.B. Abubakar, the Assistant Chief State Counsel, Aderonke Imana, and the Senior State Counsel, Bagudu Sani, filed the charges.

Onyeagwu was accused of breaking section 7(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 by failing to report suspicious transactions on verve cards with the inscription Dame Oladunni Memorial Endorsement Scheme for Less Privileged between February and March 2023. He was also accused of failing to confirm the identity of customers making electronic transactions.

Adebutu and the co-accused “conspired among yourselves to corruptly give gifts in form of verve prepaid cards with inscribed on them ‘Dame Caroline Oladuni Adebutu Memorial Endorsement Scheme for Less Privileged’ on or about March 18, at Ibara, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, to induce voters to attempt the return of PDP candidates during the gubernatorial and state assembly elections in,” according to the specifics of the

200,000 prepaid verve cards loaded with N10,000 each and bearing the same name were provided by Adebutu, it was further alleged, “for the purpose of corruptly influencing voters to vote for PDP candidates” during the aforementioned elections.