The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday resumed the trial on examination malpractice involving Senator Ademola Adeleke, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
During the trial, two supervisors of the National Examination Council (NECO) who testified said they didn’t see the lawmaker at the examination centre.
Recall that the Nigeria Police Force had, in October 2018, arraigned Adeleke alongside four others over allegations of examination malpractice.
They were accused of registering as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School in Osun State to sit for the 2017 NECO O’ Level examination.
Others accused are Aregbesola Mufutau, the school principal; Gbadamosi Ojo, the school registrar; Dare Olutope, a teacher; and Sikiru Adeleke, the senator’s cousin.
At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Emmanuel Adesola and Enoch Adigun, the NECO officials who invigilated the said examination, said they did not see the senator in the examination hall.
They were led in evidence by Simon Lough, a prosecutor.
Adesola said he would have recognised Adeleke, who is a public figure, if he was in the examination hall, adding that there were four elderly students in the hall.
“I could not identify any student without the school album since it was my first time there. So, the principal and the registrar helped me to identify them as I used the list I had to call the students into the hall,” Adesola said.
“I didn’t see any of the defendants in the examination hall. Senator Adeleke was not in the examination hall. He is a public figure, so, I would have recognised him.”
Adigun, the second witness, said he saw Sikiru Adeleke, the second defendant, but did not see the senator in the examination hall while he was invigilating.
“I was surprised to see him (Sikiru Adeleke) because he was the most mature student in the hall. But when I checked and saw that he had an identity card duly stamped by the school, I had to allow him to write the examination,” Adigun said.
Inyang Ekwo, the judge, has adjourned the case till June 10 and 11 for further hearing.