Fraud: EFCC arraign Two lawyers for alleged NBA election fraud

The Economic and financial crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraign two legal practitioners, Sarah Omeigha Ajibola and John Ozovehe Demide for alleged electoral fraud.

The duo were accused of conspiracy and forgery during the conduct of the 2018 general elections of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on May 5, 2020, filed a 14-count charge against the duo that borders on alleged forgery in the elections of the association, which produced its immediate past President, Paul Usoro.

“That you, Sarah Omeigha Ajibola and John Ozovehe Demide, sometime in August 2018, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court conspired amongst yourselves to knowingly alter the email addresses and phone numbers of about 1004 (One Thousand and Four) eligible voters of the Nigerian Bar Association 2018 elections,” one of the counts reads.

“Such inauthentic data will be acted upon as genuine during the said election and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1)(b) of the Cybercrime ( Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 13 of the same Act,” it added.

However, both Ajibola and Demide pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.

The judge, Justice Chuka Obiozor, while he adjourned the case to April 2020, granted their bail as prayed by the to counsel.

Justice Obiozor admitted the defendants each to bail in the sum of N500, 000.00 with one surety each. The defendants were ordered to be remanded in the EFCC custody for seven days to fulfill their bail conditions.