Lagos APC leader bags 1 year jail term for vote buying
The Lagos State High Court, situated in Ikeja, the state capital, sentenced Wahab Hammed, a Ward leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Surulere Local Government Area, to one year in prison for his involvement in vote-buying during the 2023 general elections.
Hammed had pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and bribery brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday.
During the review of the case on Thursday, the prosecutor, Samuel Daji, informed the court that on February 25, during the Presidential and National Assembly elections, intelligence indicated that specific individuals were engaged in vote buying at Girls High School Gbaja in Surulere.
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Operatives dispatched to the venue led to the arrest of Hammed, who was found with N121,000 in N500 denominations.
Daji detailed, “He (Hammed) was brought to the EFCC Ikoyi office with the exhibit. He confessed that the money was given to him by one Hon. Segun Ijitola.” The prosecutor presented exhibits, including Hammed’s extra-judicial statement and the recovered money, which were admitted as evidence.
In his allocutus, Hammed, claiming to be over 70 years old with health issues, pleaded for mercy, stating, “I plead with the court to forgive me.”
In delivering the judgment, Justice Ismail Ijelu acknowledged Hammed’s status as a first offender with no criminal record and apparent remorse.
The judge cited Section 121 (1) (c) of the Electoral Act 2022, noting that the convict was liable to a fine of N500,000 or a maximum sentence of 12 months. Considering Hammed’s guilty plea, lack of previous convictions, and being a first offender, the court sentenced him to one year in prison or an option of N500,000 for each of the two counts.
Hammed was also required to forfeit the proceeds of the crime to the federal government and commit to good behavior in writing to the EFCC.