Wale Adedayo, the former chairman of Ijebu East Local Government in Ogun State, has been released from the Ibara Correctional Centre in Abeokuta, just two days after being remanded there.
The Ogun State Police Command had brought charges against Adedayo in a Magistrate’s Court in Abeokuta, the state capital, based on a petition filed against him by the state government. In his petition, Adedayo had accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of diverting federal allocations meant for all 20 local governments in the state. He had also reported these allegations to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation.
Subsequently, Adedayo was suspended by seven councillors from the local government due to the allegations against the governor. He was also held and questioned for three days by the Department of State Security (DSS) in Abeokuta.
On September 14, he was impeached by five out of eleven councillors in the local government.
During his arraignment, Adedayo pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge. The charges were related to his alleged unlawful publication of a letter accusing Governor Dapo Abiodun of embezzling local government funds, knowing that the accusation was false and likely to cause public fear or disturbance.
Magistrate A.K Araba granted him bail in the amount of N2 million and required two “responsible and reliable sureties” with similar financial guarantees, who must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and possess property with tax clearance.
However, Adedayo was unable to meet the bail conditions and was consequently remanded at the Ibara Correctional Facility in Abeokuta. He was eventually released on Thursday afternoon after fulfilling the bail requirements.
Announcing his freedom on Facebook, Adedayo expressed his gratitude and determination, stating, “Olodumare is faithful. He has never failed. And He will never fail. Despite the schemings, despite the deliberate efforts, Omo Olofin Ogbolu is out. We’ll not relent. We’ll not step back.”
