By Ayodele Popoola

Gboyega Ajayi, an agent of a political party was yesterday arraigned at an Akure Magistrates’ Court for alleged attempt to kill one Hon. Isaiah Oluyi and two others.

The 42-year-old, man who lives in Oba-Ile was  brought before the court by the police over conspiracy and attempted murder.

The defendant who claimed to be a quarry operator, was said to have conspired with others at large and attempted killing the complainants during the February 22 Akure South/Akure North seat In the Federal House of Representatives bye-election..

The prosecutor, Adeoye Adesegun said the defendant and others yet-to-be arrested, on February 26 at about  4.00pm conspired  to kill one Hon. Isaiah Oluyi by beating him to coma with sticks and fist blows at St. Anthony Primary School, Araromi, Akure.

Adesegun added that the defendant and others at large, at the same time and at the aforementioned venue, allegedly attempted to kill by using knife to stab and inflict injury on the left eye of a woman, Olalekan Ilori and used iron rod to inflict injury on the left leg  of Lekan Akinniyi

The prosecutor said the offence contravene Sections 516 and 320(1)(2) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37 Vol.1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge .

He urged the court to remand the defendant at the correctional centre, while he  sought the order of the court to transfer the case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for appropriate advice.

Lawyer to the defendant, O.J. Olujimi told the court that the case is a case of two fighting which happened on election day.

He said the defendant was an agent to a party monitoring the polls during the 2022 Akure South and North, House of Representatives bye-election.

Olujimi submitted that the  case is a pure political matter in which members of one party were showing supremacy over the other.He, therefore, urged the court to grant his client bail in most liberal terms

However, the defendant, who denied the offence said the first complainant, Hon. Oluyi was corrected for beating up a woman who failed to vote for his party on the election day.

“When we  approached him, he told us to do our worse and suddenly hit my head with stone and we started fighting.

The presiding Magistrate, Olanipekun Mayomi, in his ruling, granted the defendant 100,000 bail with two sureties in like sum.

He adjourned the case till June 15 for hearing.