2023 Presidential Election: ICPC arrests 9 persons for vote buying in Osun, Ondo, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Sokoto
The Independent Commission Against Corruption and Other Related Crimes (ICPC) arrested nine people for buying votes in the states of Osun, Ondo, Borno, Akwa Ibom, and Sokoto during the presidential and parliamentary elections on Wednesday. Seven.
According to a statement by Commission Spokesperson Azuka Ogugua on Saturday, four vote buyers were arrested by the Osun State ICPC Office, two were detained by the Sokoto State Bureau and one was detained by Ondo, Akwa Ibom. and Ondo, each captured. Borno Anti-Corruption Agency Office.
The four ticket buyers arrested in Osun state were Adewale Teslim, 32; Yemi Adebiyi, 42 years old; Shake Idris, 36, and Emiola Joseph Oluwole, 69. The suspects, who are being held by the Osun State Office, were found along with documents containing lists of names, phone numbers, and account details of voters in state elections. Commission agents recovered a list of voters’ names and phone numbers from Adewale Teslim at Polling Unit 07, Ward 07, Ile Aganna in the Olorunda Local Government Area in the State of ‘Oshun.
Police also recovered a list of those who voted with their phone numbers and account details from Yemi Adebiyi at Polling Unit 06, Ward 04 in Ikirun Interchange, Ikirun, while Shake Idris was arrested at the Application Voter 6, Ward 10, Ofatedo area of Osun. Bang with a notebook containing more than 100 names and account numbers.
The anti-corruption agency has also recovered a notebook containing the list of voters’ names and account details of Ms. Afolabi Adijat from ward 5, constituency 04 of the government’s Ansar-ud-deen mosque district. local authority from Olorunda. However, agency officers were unable to arrest her. Afolabi Adijat due to regional volatility and lack of armed personnel.
ICPC’s Ondo State Office arrested Ms. Idowu-Yemi Omolere at Polling Unit 12, Ward 12 behind Dada Estate Police State for involvement in the distribution of recharge cards to voters.
ICPC staff recovered 24 N500 recharge cards, voter lists and phone numbers, and a technology phone.
ICPC’s Borno State Office arrested a Garba Bahausa in Bulunkutu district for possession of four PVCs and a total amount of forty-nine thousand nairas (N49,000). The suspect distributed money, food, and 20 bags.
During questioning, Bahausa confessed that the money was given to him by a lawmaker to be distributed to voters.
The ICPC Akwa Ibom State Office arrested a woman, Ms. S. Idara Umoren, for matching the names and account details of voters who allegedly voted for her preferred candidate.
Umoren was arrested at the Signature Hotel polling station on Plot 48G Road, Ewet Residence, Akwa Ibom.
In Sokoto State, ICPC officials arrested two people – Hassan Muhammad and Nafisa Sani – for buying votes in the Rabah Local Government Area in Sokoto.
Hassan Muhammad was caught in possession of signed tickets given to voters who voted for his party. The ticket was used to give voters wrappers and bags of rice. Nafisa Sani was stopped while she was handing out packages to voters at a polling station in the Rabah Local Government Area in Sokoto.
The ICPC team also monitored elections in the Federal Capital Territory, where they observed that INEC officials demonstrated marked laxity in administering elections in Lambata and Lambata constituencies. Yebu from Kwali Regional Council.
Many polling units in the Kwali Regional Council have yet to begin recognizing and voting due to insufficient supplies of election materials.
ICPC officials went to the INEC office of the Kwali Regional Council to compel the officials responsible to provide voting materials that facilitated the start of the exercise at the Regional Council.
Meanwhile, ICPC President, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN, OFR commended officials from the Office of State and ICPC Headquarters for closely monitoring the Presidential and Parliamentary elections across the Federation, thereby limiting vote-buying behavior of a number of representative political parties.
He ordered state agencies to conduct a detailed investigation into all those arrested on corruption charges during Saturday’s election.
The commission on Friday arrested a certain Hassan Ahmad who was in possession of two million naira cash in old and new currency in Bauchi State.
Ahmad was captured by Operation Safety Operations soldiers of the 33rd Artillery Brigade deployed at Alkaleri in Bauchi State and handed over to the Bauchi State Anti-Corruption Bureau.
