The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed the arrest of twelve people in Kano and Katsina over alleged involvement in vote-buying.
The anti-graft agency said the suspects committed the punishable crime during the supplementary polls in Kano and Katsina states last Saturday, April 15, 2023.
Confirming the development in a statement made available to newsmen over the weekend, the commission’s Kano Zonal Commander, Faruk Dogondaji, said the suspects were arrested with N1.5 million cash in both Kano and Katsina states.
He disclosed that ten suspects were arrested in Doguwa Local Government Area (LGA) of Kano while two others were nabbed in Kankiya LGA of Katsina State.
Dogondaji noted that the suspects were arrested while attempting to induce eligible voters with cash to vote for their party in some polling units.
He further disclosed that the ten suspects were apprehended with N1,357,500 in Doguwa, Kano State, while the two others were arrested with N242,000 in Kankia LGA of Katsina State.
“We will also be physically present in all the collation centres to prevent change of results,” Dogondaji noted.
Meanwhile, thugs have reportedly invaded the house of Modestus Osakwe, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Isu State Constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly.
Speaking with newsmen in Owerri on Saturday, the Imo PDP Publicity Secretary, Collins Opuozor, claimed that suspected security officers backed the thugs.
Opuozor alleged that the whereabouts of the party’s candidate could not be established, adding that the All Progressives Congress (APC) used armoured vehicles and security personnel to intimidate the opposition.
The PDP spokesman also accused the APC of sponsoring thugs to snatch ballot boxes at Umuarusi Amandugba hall in the Isu local government area of the state.
He said: “The residence of our candidate for Isu State Constituency, Hon. Modestus Osakwe, has been surrounded and attacked by armed thugs aided by security operatives. The whereabouts of our candidate cannot be established.
“APC agents have armoured personnel carriers to cart away electoral materials and abduct INEC officials to cause mayhem against the people of Isu LGA. That is the level of barbarity going on as I speak to you.”
