EFCC intercepts fabric bales in Sokoto, makes arrests in Port Harcourt, Kebbi, Kaduna, Ekiti, Calabar

Officers from the Economic and Financial Commission, EFCC, which monitors ongoing elections for Governors and State Houses of Assembly, intercepted balls of cloth intended to incite voters and arrested a number of people suspected of be involved in vote buying.

Thirty-five (35) bales of cloth allegedly belonging to a senior officer of the Sokoto State Assembly were intercepted by the team of officers on an election observation mission in Sokoto. The items have been transferred to the Commission’s Sokoto Zone Command pending the conclusion of the investigation.

In the neighboring state of Kebbi, precisely in the local government area of ​​Argungu, the EFCC election monitoring team also intercepted a suspect with a vehicle fully loaded with fabrics and other suspected items. to be intended to incite voters. The suspect was handed over to Argungu Police Zone Command, to be kept in a safe place alongside the vehicle and items, while the team conducted the elections.

In Kaduna, a suspect allegedly involved in vote buying was arrested in School Road, Unguwan Rimi Kaduna. The suspect, who initially resisted arrest, is however in custody pending the conclusion of the investigation.

Also in Kaduna, the Tẹam led by ACE II Esmond Garba arrested a Buhari Muhammed in PU 002 Dogara Yaro Dagari area. He was arrested with voter coupons, which he confessed would be used to trace and pay those who voted for his party.

Separately, the Voting Exercise Monitoring Team around LEA Kabala Doki, Kaduna led by CSE Wakilu Omokide also arrested two individuals suspected of vote buying. Upon their arrest, a total sum of N67,500, a list containing the names of voters with their PVC numbers and bank details among others, was recovered from them.

Vigilance by surveillance teams also paid off in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where two women and six men were arrested at different locations (Moscow Road, Elekahia Township and Mile 2) for their alleged involvement in the incentive to vote. The suspects were arrested with A4 papers which included the names, phone numbers and account numbers of people suspected of being voters.

In Ekiti State, the surveillance team led by ACE II Eze on Sunday arrested two people, Abdulazeez Yusuf and Balogun Ojo for electoral fraud offenses in Unit 2 of Ward 13 in Ado-Ekiti. Five voter cards with different identities were found on Abdulazeez Yusuf and Balogun Ojo.

The monitoring team in Calabar, Cross River State also arrested Esther Asuquo Edem, the female leader of one of the political parties in Ward 11, Calabar South, Cross River State, and two others, Edet Okon Etim and Asanwana Peter Eyo, for allegedly voting. buy in Calabar.

The female leader, who had a list of suspected voters, their account numbers and thousands of naira in cash, was apprehended inside an unfinished building next to her neighborhood in Calabar South, while Etim and Eyo were arrested at Ward 12, Unit 11, Kings Memorial School by Inyang Street, Abasi Obori, South Calabar.

The Etim and Eyo duo had their own lists with them and the money they would have used to buy votes.

They are currently with the State Criminal Investigation Department, Cross River State Police Command.

The suspects voluntarily made statements to the Commission.