EFCC, ICPC Arrest 69 Over Vote Inducement

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission on Saturday arrested about 69 persons for alleged voters’ inducement while monitoring the governorship and state Assembly elections. The EFCC arrested 65 persons while the ICPC arrested four persons.

The ICPC said it arrested four vote-buyers in Sokoto and Katsina states. The commission arrested nine vote-buyers in Osun, Ondo, Borno, Akwa Ibom and Sokoto states during the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections.

On Saturday, however, the spokesperson for the ICPC, Azuka Ogugua, said officials of the commission encountered some vote-buyers at Kauran Miyo Primary School in Bodingo, Bodinga Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

She noted that the Sokoto State monitoring team of the commission arrested three male vote-buyers. She added, “Mahe Bello was caught in possession of a cash sum of N38,000, two PVCs, one ATM card and an Infinix phone, while Musa Adamu had CFA228,000 in his possession which was being offered to voters, while the third suspect, Mustapha Mohammed, was arrested with some PVCs in his possession.”

She said the ICPC monitoring team came under attack while carrying out the arrest. She said an officer of the commission, Rabiu Ibrahim, who suffered a head injury from being hit by stones, had been admitted into a hospital and in a stable condition.