The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reported the arrest of 65 individuals across 28 states for alleged vote-buying during the recent governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections. In a statement released by Wilson Uwujaren, the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC on Saturday, it was revealed that the Ilorin Zonal Command arrested 20 suspects while 13 suspects were caught by operatives in the Kaduna Zonal Command. The Port Harcourt Zone monitored the polls and arrested 12 people for various offenses related to inducing voters with money to vote for their preferred candidates. The Uyo Zonal Command made four arrests in Calabar, while the remaining suspects were apprehended in Gombe, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Niger states.
According to Uwujaren, those arrested in Kaduna were ten males and three females, and they were apprehended by operatives working on intelligence. One suspect was arrested at School Road, Unguwan Rimi, Kaduna, after initially resisting arrest. The investigation revealed that the suspects’ major modus operandi is to give cash, transfer money, coupons, and send recharge cards to eligible voters to induce them to vote for their candidates. Items recovered from the suspects include voter cards, monies, a list containing names and account details of voters, and recharge cards.
Officers from the Kaduna Command also arrested two persons in Niger State for alleged vote-buying. The first suspect, Umar Ibrahim, was arrested at Peter Sarki Road polling unit with an INEC ID tag and a letter of appointment from BOS as Director Liaison. The second suspect, Isa Salihu Bababida, was arrested at Unguwar Nassarawa with several lists of names, account numbers, and BVN.
In Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the election monitoring teams arrested ten suspects allegedly involved in voter inducement at different polling units. They were arrested with A4 papers that had names, telephone and account numbers of persons suspected to be voters. Two youths were also arrested at Ward 2 Polling Unit 2 and 30, Ogbum, PHALGA, Port Harcourt City, for alleged voter inducement.
The Uyo Zonal Command led by Binta Rano arrested four persons at different locations in Calabar, and they volunteered their statements at the Criminal Investigation Department, Cross River State Police Command. One of the suspects, Esther Edem, the Woman Leader of one of the political parties for Ward 11, Calabar South, Cross River State, had a list of suspected voters, their account numbers, and thousands of Naira in cash. Etim and Eyo were arrested at Ward 12, Unit 11, at Kings Memorial School by Inyang Street, Abasi Obori, Calabar South, with their own lists and money they allegedly used in buying votes.
The Ilorin Zonal Command arrested 20 suspects, including Adekunle Ademola, Wasiu Raimi, Laaro Rasheed, Alagbe Taiwo, Boniface Victory, Kayode Toba, Adeoye Adetunji, Lawal Favour, Abidoye Moradeyo, Magaji Iliasu, Abdulkadir Abdulmumini, and Musa Olasunkanmi. These suspects were arrested at different polling units across the state and caught with incriminating items, including cash of various sums, a notebook containing a list of voters’ names, POS machines, mobile phones, and voter cards.
The Gombe Zonal Command led by Faruk Dogondaji made ten arrests over alleged voters’ inducement and recovered 43 pieces of wrappers and N1, 923,900 in cash. The investigation is
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