The ICPC apprehends four vote-buyers in Sokoto and Katsina states
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission arrested four vote-buyers in Sokoto and Katsina states during Saturday’s governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.
During its election monitoring operations across the federation on Saturday, March 18, officers of the anti-corruption agency encountered some vote-buyers at Kauran Miyo Primary School in Bodingo Town of Bodinga Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Azuka Ogugua, the ICPC’s spokesperson, revealed this in a statement obtained by our correspondent on Saturday night.
She stated that the commission’s Sokoto State monitoring team arrested three male vote-buyers, Mahe Bello, Musa Adamu, and Mustapha Mohammed, all of Kauran Miyo Bodinga.
“Mahe Bello was caught in possession of a cash sum of N38,000, two PVCs, one ATM card, and an Infinix phone,” Ogugua said, adding that Musa Adamu had CFA228,000 in his possession, which he was offering to voters. Mustapha Mohammed, the third suspect, was apprehended with PVCs in his possession.”
According to her, the ICPC monitoring team was attacked while arresting the three vote-buyers.
This came as she announced that an officer of the commission, Rabiu Ibrahim, had suffered a head injury after being hit by stones and had been admitted to a hospital, where he is in stable condition.
She also stated that the three alleged vote-buyers were detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps before being transferred to the ICPC’s detention facility in Sokoto.
According to the PUNCH, the commission arrested nine vote-buyers during the presidential and National Assembly elections in the states of Osun, Ondo, Borno, Akwa Ibom, and Sokoto on February 25.
In a related development, the ICPC election monitoring team in Katsina State arrested one Tanimu Tabale for vote-buying at Tashar Yamma Polling Unit in the state’s Zango Local Government Area.
Tabale, a 35-year-old man, claimed he was an observer in Makama Polling Unit but was arrested at Tashar Yamma Polling Unit with the sum of N20,000 in different denominations attempting to buy the votes of the electorate.
Meanwhile, one of the ICPC monitoring teams in Delta State rescued a female voter, Oge Nwaomose, from mob action by agents of some parties who accused her of vote-buying.
Nwaomose was seen parading herself at Unit 13 Ward 6, shortly after casting her vote at Unit 8 Ward 13, Ogbu-Utu Primary School, Issele-Uku, Aniocha North Local Government Area, Delta State.
Ogugua further noted that officers of the anti-corruption agency at Polling Unit 13, Ward 6 in Issele-Uku, Aniocha North Local Government Area, Delta State, prevented further attacks on the lady, who was thereafter whisked away to the state office for interrogation.
She added, “During a search conducted on her, the sum of N6,000 in 500 naira note denominations was found on her. Her statement was obtained and she was granted bail.”
(Punch)
