Detectives arrest Ondo Assembly clerk, fake lawmakers

In from Olumide Olaoluwa …
Police operatives from the Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) have arrested Clerk of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Bode Adeyelu.
The clerk was picked for allegedly swearing in two members of the House of Assembly without Certificates of Return.
The two lawmakers swore in without Certificates of Return, Abayomi Akinruntan and Malachi Coker were also arrested by the police officers.
The lawmakers represent Ilaje 1 and 11 State Constituencies of the state.
It was learnt that the Speaker, Mrs. Jumoke Akindele, evaded arrest from her official quarters at Alagbaka area of Akure.
The two lawmakers were allegedly sworn in illegally on June 1 but have refused to heed invitations for interrogation by the Force Headquarters.
Investigation into the alleged fraudulent oath administered on the two lawmakers by the Clerk has been concluded last Thursday by the police from the FCID Abuja.

Read also: Bad market! Ondo govt bans ‘ogogoro’

The investigation, sources said, had been delayed till last week to enable the clerk make his statement which he eventually did last Wednesday but failed to appear before the Police on Monday as promised.
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr. Segun Agbaje and the two Returning officers for Ilaje I and II in the April 11 House of Assembly Election had also been invited by the Police for interrogation.
It was gathered that the Police were acting on a the petition addressed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) by the Ondo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) through its Lawyer, Charles Titiloye.
The party alleged that the Speaker and the Clerk allegedly conspired to fraudulently swear-in Akinruntan and Malachi Coker without the certificates of Return by INEC.
The two lawmakers escaped arrest when detectives from the Force Headquarters, Abuja earlier stormed Akure to pick them few weeks ago.

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