The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to arraign two suspects for allegedly altering the email addresses and phone numbers of about 1,004 eligible voters of the Nigerian Bar Association 2018 elections.
TRACKING___In a charge filed by the EFCC on May 5, 2020, the two defendants were identified as NBA’s Director of Membership & Bar Services, Sarah Omeigha Ajibola and John Ozovehe Demide, who has also worked with the NBA in varying capacities over time.
The duo was alleged to have committed the offense with intent of gaining electoral advantage in favour of Mr Paul Usoro (SAN), who was one of the Presidential Aspirants during the 2018 Nigerian Bar Association elections.
The offenses are said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 under the same section.
Channels Television gathered that the charge has been assigned to Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
The court is, however, yet to fix a date for arraignment but a source at the court said the suspects are likely to be arraigned during the annual court vacation which begins on Monday, July 27.
The vacation will last for about three months, but certain judges have been designated as vacation judges to sit on urgent and time-bound matters which come up during the period.
The EFCC investigated the outcome of the elections following a petition by Mr Olumuyiwa Olowokure who was an agent to one of the presidential candidates in the elections, Arthur Obi Okafor SAN.
Olowokure, who wrote the petition, is now deceased.
Below are the charges:
COUNT-1
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 with the intention that such inauthentic data will be acted upon as genuine during the said election and you think thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 27 (1)(b) of the Cybercrime ( Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 13 of the same Act.
COUNT-2
That you, Sarah Omeigha Ajibola and John Ozovehe Demide sometime in August 2018, within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court aided the commission of an offense to wit: to knowingly alter the email addresses and phone numbers of about 1004(One Thousand and Four) eligible voters of the Nigerian Bar Association 2018 National elections with the intention that such inauthentic data will be acted upon as genuine during the said election and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 27 (1)(b)of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 and punishable under Section 13 of the same Act.
COUNT-3
That you, Sarah Omeigha Ajibola and John Ozovehe Demide sometime in August 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court knowingly altered the email addresses and phone numbers of about 1004 (One Thousand and Four) eligible voters of the Nigerian Bar Association 2018 National elections with the intention that such inauthentic data will be acted upon as genuine during the said election and you thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 13 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act,2015.
COUNT-4
That you, John Ozovehe Demide sometime on the 19th of August 2018, within the Jurisdiction of this Court fraudulently used the unique identification features such as Name and Supreme Court Enrolment Number SCN043280 of one Gabriel Abijo Oladipo to vote as the same Gabriel Abijo Oladipo through your Smile modem on IP address 169.159.65.190 to vote with intent of gaining electoral advantage in favour of Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN) who was one of the Presidential Aspirants during the 2018 Nigerian Bar Association elections and you thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015 under the same section.
COUNT-5
That you, Sarah Omeigha Ajibola and John Ozovehe Demide sometime on the 19th of August 2018, within the Jurisdiction of this Court aided the commission of an offence to wit: fraudulently using the unique identification features such as Name and Supreme Court Enrolment Number SCN043280 of one Gabriel Abijo Oladipo to vote as the same Gabriel Abijo Oladipo through the Smile modem on IP address 169.159.65.190 to vote with the intent of gaining electoral advantage in favour of Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN) who was one of the Presidential Aspirants during the 2018 Nigerian Bar Association National elections and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1)(b) and punishable under Section 22 (2) of the Cybercrime ( Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015.
COUNT-6
That you, John Ozovehe Demide sometime on the 19th August 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently impersonated one Gabriel Abijo Oladipo with Supreme Court Enrolment Number SCN043280 by voting as such through your Smile modem on IP address 169.159.65.190 to vote with the intent of gaining electoral advantage in favour of Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN) who was one of the Presidential Aspirants during the 2018 Nigerian Bar Association National elections and you thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 22 (2) of the Cybercrime ( Prohibition, Prevention, etc ) Act, 2015.
COUNT-7
That you, Sarah Omeigha Ajibola and John Ozovehe Demide sometime on 19th August 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court aided the commission of an offense to wit: fraudulently use the unique identification features such Name and Supreme Court Enrolment Number SCN088449 of one Uthman Adeleye Oluwaseun to vote as the same Uthman Adeleye Oluwaseun through the Smile Modem on IP address 169.159.65.190 to vote with intent of gaining electoral advantage in favour of Mr Paul Usoro (SAN) who was one of the Presidential Aspirants during the 2018 Nigerian Bar Association elections and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 27 (1)(b) and punishable under Section 22 (2) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act,2015.
COUNT-8
That you, John Ozovehe Demide sometime on 19th August 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently impersonated one Uthman Adeleye Oluwaseun with Supreme Court Enrolment Number SCN088449 by voting as such through your Smile modem on IP address 169.159.65.190 to vote with intent of gaining electoral advantage in favour of Mr Paul Usoro (SAN) who was one of the Presidential Aspirants during the 2018 Nigerian Bar Association elections and you thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 22 (3) of the cybercrime ( Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.
COUNT-9
That you, Sarah Omeigha Ajibola and John Ozovehe Demide sometime on the 19th day of August 2018, within the Jurisdiction of this Court aided the commission of an offense to wit: fraudulently using the unique identification features such as Name and Supreme Court Enrolment Number SCN015233 of one David Anakor through the Smile modem on IP address 169.159.65.190 to vote with intent of gaining electoral advantage in favour of Mr Paul Usoro (SAN) who was one of the Presidential Aspirants during the 2018 Nigerian Bar Association elections and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 27 (1)(b) and punishable under Section 22 (2) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.
COUNT-10
That you, John Ozovehe Demide sometime on the 19th day of August 2018, within the Jurisdiction of this Court fraudulently impersonated one David Anakor with Supreme Court Enrolment Number SCN015233 by voting as such through your Smile modem on IP address 169.159.65.190 to vote with intent of gaining electoral advantage in favour of Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN) who was one of the Presidential Aspirants during the 2018 Nigerian Bar Association elections and you thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 22(3) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act,2015
COUNT-11
That you, Sarah Omeigha Ajibola and John Ozovehe Demide sometime on the 20th day of August 2018, within the Jurisdiction of this Court aided the commission of an offense to wit: fraudulently using the unique identification features such as Name and Supreme Court Enrolment Number SCN114439 of one Chiagoziem Bethel Aninilu to vote as the same Chiagoziem Bethel Aninilu through the Smile modem on IP address 197.210.216.226 to vote with intent of gaining electoral advantage in favour of Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN) who was one of the Presidential Aspirants during the 2018 Nigerian Bar Association National elections and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 27 (1)(b) and punishable under Section 22 (2) of the cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.
COUNT-12
That you, John Ozovehe Demide sometime on the 20th day of August 2018, within the Jurisdiction of this Court fraudulently impersonated one Chiagoziem Bethel Aninilu with Supreme Court Enrolment Number SCN114439 by voting as such through your Smile modem on IP address 197.210.216.226 to vote with intent of gaining electoral advantage in favour of Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN) who was one of the Presidential Aspirants during the 2018 Nigerian Bar Association elections and you thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 22 (3) of the cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.
COUNT-13
That you, Sarah Omeigha Ajibola and John Ozovehe Demide sometime on the 20th day of August 2018, within the Jurisdiction of this Court aided the commission of an offense to wit: fraudulently using the unique identification features such as Name and Supreme Court Enrolment Number SCN024643 of one Bankole Isaac Toyin to vote as the same Bankole Isaac Toyin through the Smile modem on IP address 169.159.65.190 to vote with intent of gaining electoral advantage in favour of Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN) who was one of the Presidential Aspirants during the 2018 Nigerian Bar Association National elections and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 27 (1)(b) and punishable under Section 22 (2) of the cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act,2015.
COUNT-14
That you, John Ozovehe Demide sometime on the 20th day of August 2018, within the Jurisdiction of this Court fraudulently impersonated one Bankole Isaac Toyin to vote as the same Bankole Isaac Toyin with Supreme Court Enrolment Number SCN024643 by voting as such through your Smile modem on IP address 169.159.65.190 to vote with intent of gaining electoral advantage in favour of Mr Paul Usoro (SAN) who was one of the Presidential Aspirants during the 2018 Nigerian Bar Association elections and you thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 22 (3) of the cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.
