No less than 65 individuals were detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Saturday, March 18, 2023, throughout the 28 states where gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly elections were held for suspected voter inducement.
Twenty of the suspects were apprehended by operatives from the Ilorin Zonal Command while 13 suspects were captured by operatives on election monitoring duties at the Kaduna Zonal Command.
The teams monitoring the elections in the Port Harcourt Zone detained a total of 12 persons for different crimes touching on persuading voters with money to vote for their favourite candidates, while the Uyo Zonal Command made four arrests in Calabar. The remaining individuals were apprehended in Gombe, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger states.
The Head, of Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, stated this on Saturday in a statement received by a reporter.
He stated that those seized in Kaduna comprised 10 guys and three girls, adding that they were nabbed by agents working on intelligence.
Uwujaren stated, “A person reportedly engaged in vote buying was detained at School Road, Unguwan Rimi Kaduna. The suspect who first resisted arrest, is nonetheless in jail, awaiting the outcome of the inquiry.
“Also in Kaduna, the tẹam headed by Esmond Garba detained one Buhari Muhammed in PU 002 Dogara Yaro Dagari area. He was detained with voter coupons, which he acknowledged would be used to track and compensate anyone who voted for his party.
“Furthermore, the team monitoring the polling activity surrounding LEA Kabala Doki, Kaduna headed by CSE Wakilu Omokide also apprehended two persons suspected of vote buying. Following their arrest, a total amount of N67,500, a list including names of voters with their PVC numbers and their bank account information amongst others, were retrieved from them.”
The spokesman for the anti-graft agency added that inquiry so far indicated that the principal modus operandi of the suspects is to offer cash, transfer money, coupons, and send recharge cards to eligible voters to convince them to vote for their candidates.
“A check of their persons and phones indicated that most of them had moved money into the accounts of certain voters on the lists retrieved from them. Some of the goods seized from the suspects include voter cards, cash, and a list including names and account information of voters. Others are recharging cards,” he stated.
In a similar line, officials of the Kaduna Command also detained two men in Niger State for suspected vote buying. The first suspect, Umar Ibrahim, was apprehended at the Peter Sarki Road voting unit based on information.
“Upon inspecting his car, an INEC ID badge (domestic election observer) showing his name and picture and also a letter of employment from BOS ( Bago Support Organisation) as Director Liaison, was unearthed. On further investigation, he claimed that a certain Mr Usman Mohammed, who belongs to his political party handed him the INEC ID tag
“The second suspect, Isa Salihu Bababida, was detained at Unguwar Nassarawa with multiple lists of names, account numbers and BVN,” Uwujaren continued.
He also claimed that in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, the election monitoring teams detained 10 people suspected to be engaged in voter inducement at Moscow Road, Elekahia, Township, Mile 2, Ward 2 polling Unit 2 and 30, Ogbum, Phalga, Port Harcourt.
According to him, the suspects were caught carrying A4 documents that included names, telephone and account numbers of those thought to be voters. Additionally, two teenagers who were believed to be engaged in voter inducement were detained at Ward 2 Polling Units 2 and 30, Ogbum, PHALGA, Port Harcourt City.
The EFCC PRO also added that the four suspects apprehended at various places in Calabar by the team from Uyo Zonal Command, headed by Binta Rano, gave their statements at the Criminal Investigation Department, Cross River State Police Command.
He continued, “The team arrested one Esther Edem, the Women Leader of one of the political parties for Ward 11, Calabar South, Cross River State and two others, Edet Etim and Asanwana Eyo, for suspected vote buying in Calabar.
“The Woman Leader, who had a list of suspected voters, their account numbers and thousands of Naira in cash was apprehended inside an uncompleted building, beside her ward in Calabar South, while Etim and Eyo were arrested at Ward 12, Unit 11, at Kings Memorial School by Inyang Street, Abasi Obori, Calabar South.
“The pair of Etim and Eyo carried with them their lists and money they reportedly utilized in purchasing vote.”
Uwujaren further highlighted that the 20 suspects apprehended by the Ilorin Zonal Command include 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.
Others include Marudeen Sadiq, Abogunrin Oluwasesan, Funmilayo Lawal, Olawuyi Bolarin, Garuba Ismail, Abiola Abogunrin, Amidu Tiamiyu and Usman Abdulazeez.
“The suspects who were apprehended at different polling units throughout the state were found with incriminating goods including cash of varying quantities, notebook holding list of voters names, POS machine, mobile phones and voter cards, among others.
“Upon questioning, several of the accused identified themselves as party agents while others confessed handing money to influence voters.” He said.
Meanwhile, EFCC PRO also revealed that in Gombe, the Gombe Zonal Command headed by Faruk Dogondaji made 10 arrests over suspected voters’ inducement, and collected 43 pieces of wrappers and N1,923,900 in cash.
He, however, highlighted that investigations are still underway to ascertain the responsibility of each individual.
