Vote Buying: EFCC, ICPC Arrest 26 Suspects In Osun, Ondo, Others

,,,,,,,The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC said its operatives have arrested 17 suspects over alleged vote buying in Katsina and Kano states.

EFCC zonal commander in Kano, Farul Dogondaji, announced the development in an interview with NAN on Saturday.

,,,,,,Dogondaji said six suspects were arrested in Tofa and Ungogo LGAs of Kano state with bags of rice and semovita, while one suspect was apprehended with 60 wrappers in Bakori LGA of Katsina state.

He said the suspects were arrested while attempting to share the items during the presidential and national assembly elections, adding that they will be charged to court.

In a related development, the EFCC, on Friday, announced the discovery of N32.4 million suspected to be for vote buying in Lagos state.

,,,,,Hours before the Friday announcement, the Rivers state police command said it arrested Chinyere Igwe, a member of the house of representatives, with $498,100 cash during a stop-and-search.

Meanwhile, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission on Saturday arrested nine persons for vote buying during the presidential and National Assembly elections in Osun, Ondo, Borno, Akwa Ibom, and Sokoto states.

It said four suspects were arrested in Osun, two in Sokoto, and one each in Ondo, Akwa Ibom, and Borno states.

It said the four suspects in the custody of the Osun State office of the ICPC, were found with documents containing lists of names, phone numbers, and account details of voters during the elections in the state.

“The four vote buyers arrested in Osun State are Adewale Teslim, 32 years; Yemi Adebiyi, 42 years; Shake Idris, 36 years, and Emiola Joseph Oluwole, 69 years.37Ni: Ẹ Pàdé Àròjinlẹ̀ Tó Ń Dá Àwọn Ènìyàn Lẹ́kọ̀ọ́ Nípa Ẹranko Lédè Yoruba

“Operatives of the commission retrieved a list of names and phone numbers of voters from Adewale Teslim at Polling Unit 07, Ward 07, Ile Aganna in the Olorunda Local Government Area of Osun State.

The officers also recovered a list of people who had voted with their phone numbers and account details from Yemi Adebiyi at Polling Unit 06, Ward 04 at Ikirun junction, Ikirun, while Shake Idris was arrested at Polling Unit 6, Ward 10, Ofatedo area of Osun State with a notebook containing over 100 names and account numbers,” the agency said in a statement by its spokesperson, Mrs Azuka Ogugua, on Saturday.

According to the statement, the Ondo State office of the ICPC arrested one Mrs Idowu-Yemi Omolere at Polling Unit 12, Ward 12 behind Dada Estate Police Station in connection with the distribution of recharge cards to voters and recovered 24 pieces of N500 recharge cards, a list of voters, their phone numbers and a mobile phone.