Alleged Exam Fraud: We Didn’t See Adeleke In Exam Hall, We Only Saw His Brother – Witnesses Tells Court

Proceedings resumed on Wednesday in the trial of Senator Ademola Adeleke on and four others before a Federal High Court in Abuja over their alleged involvement in examination malpractices.

The prosecution called two witnesses – Emmanuel Adesola and Adigun Akintayo – who said they acted as supervisor and invigilator during the June/July 2017 National Examination Council (NECO) examination in Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Ojo-Aro, Osun State.

Adesola (a teacher, who was a supervisor during the examination) and Akintayo (a teacher and invigilator during the exam) said they only saw Sirkiru Adeleke (the Senator’s brother), who is listed as the 2nd respondent, in the examination hall.

Odesola told the court that when he got to school, he asked for the school album but was told it was not ready.

He further affirmed that he could not identify any student without the school album since it was my first time there so the principal and the register helped me to identify them as I used the list I had to call the students into the hall. He 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”.

The witness who told the court that he had been supervising the National Examination Council (NECO) for the past five years also said there were four elderly students in the hall.

Under cross-examination by Alex Iziyon, (SAN), the witness said that he did not make a formal report on the absence of a school album to his superiors even though he ought to have done so.

He explained that on the day he invigilated, he did not witness any form of examination malpractice in the hall.

On his part, Adigun told the court that he saw the second defendant, Sikiru Adeleke in the examination hall while he was invigilating. Adigun said:

“I was surprised to see him 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 write the examination”.

Adigun added that he didn’t see senator Adeleke in the examination hall or any of the other defendant besides Sikiru.

However, after certain legal fireworks, presiding Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned the matter to June 10 and 11 for continuation of hearing.