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An Osun State Magistrates’ Court sitting in Osogbo on Tuesday sentenced a 31-year-old man, Rotimi Orowole, to three years in prison with hard labour for making false accusations.
Orowole had alleged that the former Registrar of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Dr Alhassan Ogunleye, hired him to assassinate the institution’s then Rector, Dr John Edaogbogun, its Chief Medical Director, Dr Olofu Romanus, and another official, Mr Elkanah Aruwajoye.
Testifying in court, Ogunleye recounted how officers of the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) from Adeniji Adele Police Station, Lagos, arrested him at his Osogbo residence on June 2, 2019.
He was taken to Lagos, where Orowole accused him of supplying a pump-action gun for the alleged assassination plot.
The case was later transferred to Osun State, where police investigations cleared Ogunleye of any wrongdoing.
Authorities then charged Orowole with conspiracy, possession of firearms, false accusation, and criminal defamation.
The prosecution, led by Abiodun Badiora from the Osun State Ministry of Justice, told the court that Orowole, a native of Ile-Ife, conspired with others to falsely implicate the former Registrar.
Delivering judgment on the case, Magistrate Oyindamola Daramola, found him guilty of three counts of possession of firearms, false accusation, and criminal defamation.
Magistrate Daramola said she considered the fact that Orowole is a first-time offender with no previous criminal record.
The Magistrate sentenced Orowole to two years imprisonment with hard labour for possession of firearms with an option of a N50,000 fine.
For a count bordering on a false accusation, she sentenced Orowole to two years imprisonment with hard labour and an option of a N50,000 fine.
The convict was also sentenced to three years imprisonment with hard labour in count four bordering on criminal defamation with an option of N50,000.
She, however, said all the terms must run concurrently, commencing on March 18, 2025.
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