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Gov/Assembly Polls: EFCC arrests ‘over 65 persons’ for voter inducement across 28 states

Published

2 years ago

March 19, 2023

EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren

With Nigerians headed to the polls for the governorship and state House of Assembly elections, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says no fewer than 65 persons have been arrested for alleged voter inducement.

The EFCC said that the suspects were nabbed across the 28 states where governorship elections were held.

In a statement on Saturday, EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said 20 of the suspects were arrested by its operatives from the Ilorin Zonal Command, while 13 were nabbed at the Kaduna Zonal Command.

“The teams monitoring the polls in the Port Harcourt Zone arrested a total of 12 people for various offences bordering on inducing voters with money to vote their preferred candidates, while the Uyo Zonal Command made four arrests in Calabar,” the statement read.

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“The remaining suspects were arrested in Gombe, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger states. Those arrested in Kaduna consist of 10 males and three females. They were apprehended by operatives working on intelligence or chanced upon them during the monitoring exercise.”

See the full statement below:

Guber Polls: EFCC Arrests Over 65 Persons for Alleged Voter Inducement

No fewer than 65 persons were arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Saturday March 18, 2023 across the 28 states where Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were conducted, for alleged voter inducement.

Twenty of the suspects were arrested by operatives from the Ilorin Zonal Command while 13 suspects were nabbed by operatives on election monitoring duty at the Kaduna Zonal Command. The teams monitoring the polls in the Port Harcourt Zone arrested a total of 12 people for various offences bordering on inducing voters with money to vote their preferred candidates, while the Uyo Zonal Command made 4 arrests in Calabar. The remaining suspects were arrested in Gombe, Sokoto , kebbi and Niger states.

Those arrested in Kaduna consist of 10 males and 3 females. They were apprehended by operatives working on intelligence or chanced upon them during the monitoring exercise.

A suspect allegedly involved in vote buying was nabbed at 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 one 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.

Furthermore, the team monitoring the voting exercise 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 names of voters with their PVC numbers and their bank account details amongst others, were recovered from them.

Investigation so far revealed that the major modus operandi of the suspects is to give cash, transfer money, coupons and send recharge cards to eligible voters in order to induce them to vote for their candidates. A search of their persons and phones revealed that most of them had transferred money into the accounts of some voters on the lists recovered from them.

Some of the items recovered from the suspects include, voters cards, monies, list containing names and account details of voters. Others are recharge cards.

Officers of the Kaduna Command also arrested two persons in Niger State for alleged vote buying.The first suspect, one Umar.B. Ibrahim was arrested at Peter Sarki Road polling unit based on an intelligence. Upon searching his vehicle, an INEC ID tag (domestic election observer) bearing his name and photograph and also a letter of appointment from BOS ( Bago Support Organisation) as Director Liaison, were uncovered. On further enquiry, he disclosed that a certain Mr. Usman Mohammed, who belongs to his political party gave him the INEC ID tag .

The second suspect, Isa Salihu Bababida, was arrested at Unguwar Nassarawa with several lists of names, account numbers and BVN.

In Port Harcourt, the election monitoring teams arrested 10 suspects in Port Harcourt alleged to be involved in voter inducement at Moscow Road, Elekahia, Township, Mile 2, Ward 2 polling Unit 2 and 30, Ogbum, Phalga, Port Harcourt. The suspects were arrested with A4 papers that had names, telephone and account numbers of persons suspected to be voters. Also two youths who were alleged to be involved in voter inducement were arrested at Ward 2 Polling Unit 2 and 30, Ogbum, PHALGA, Port Harcourt City.

The four persons arrested at different locations in Calabar by the team from Uyo Zonal Command, led by CE Binta A. Rano, are currently volunteering their statements at the Criminal Investigation Department, Cross River State Police Command.

the team arrested one Esther Asuquo Edem, the Woman Leader of one of the political parties for Ward 11, Calabar South, Cross River State and two others, Edet Okon Etim and Asanwana Peter Eyo, for alleged vote buying in Calabar.

The Woman Leader, who had a list of suspected voters, their account numbers and Thousands of Naira in cash was apprehended inside an uncompleted building, beside her Ward in Calabar South, while Etim and Eyo were arrested at Ward 12, Unit 11, at Kings Memorial School by Inyang Street, Abasi Obori, Calabar South.

The duo of Etim and Eyo had with them their own lists and money they allegedly used in buying vote

The 20 suspects arrested by the Ilorin Zonal Command are Adekunle Ademola, Wasiu Raimi, Laaro Rasheed, Alagbe Taiwo, Boniface Victory, Kayode Toba, Adeoye Adetunji, Lawal Favour, Abidoye Victoria Moradeyo, Magaji Iliasu, Abdulkadir Abdulmumini and Musa Lateef Olasunkanmi.

Others are Marudeen Sadiq, Abogunrin Jimoh Oluwasesan, Funmilayo Lawal, Olawuyi Bolarin, Garuba Ismail, Abiola Abogunrin, Amidu Tiamiyu and Usman Abdulazeez.

They suspects, who were arrested at different polling units across the State, were caught with incriminating items including cash of various sums, notebook containing list of voters names, POS machine, mobile phones and voter cards, among others.

Upon interrogation, some of the suspects identified themselves as party agents while some admitted distributing money to induce voters.

In Gombe, the Gombe Zonal Command led by ACE Faruk M. Dogondaji, made 10 arrests for alleged voter inducement, and recovered , 43 pieces of wrappers and N 1, 923,900 cash.

Investigations are still ongoing to determine the culpability of each suspect.

Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media & Publicity

18/03/2023

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Oluwo backs push for Sharia law in South-West

Published

24 minutes ago

December 29, 2024

Trends Admin

Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi

Oluwo backs push for Sharia law in South-West

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, has expressed support for the proposed implementation of Sharia law in the South-West, emphasizing its historical presence in Yoruba culture.

Oba Akanbi noted that Sharia principles have long been part of Yoruba land, citing examples such as Sharia banking and the existence of a Sharia college in Iwo, Osun State.

He stated, “Sharia law has been in Iwo for over 100 years… It’s the right of Muslims to choose customary law or the high court.”

Recall that the discussion around Sharia law gained traction after plans were announced for the inauguration of a Sharia council on January 11, 2025, at the Muslim Community Islamic Centre in Oyo. However, the event has been postponed indefinitely following widespread public criticism.

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Critics have argued that the Yoruba-dominated South-West, where Muslims and Christians coexist, is distinct from the predominantly Muslim northern region where Sharia is more widely practiced.

Addressing concerns, Oba Akanbi explained that Sharia law is already embedded in Nigeria’s constitution and should not cause alarm for non-Muslims.

“Sharia law is only for Muslims and does not concern others. If any other person likes it, they can convert to Islam, and Muslims can also convert to Christianity. Everyone is free,” he said.

The monarch also drew attention to the challenges faced by Muslims under existing laws, particularly in matters such as inheritance and divorce, where Western legal frameworks may not align with Islamic traditions. “Many Muslims feel disenfranchised… Western education doesn’t understand the ways of Muslim divorce, marriage, and inheritance,” he added.

Oba Akanbi emphasized that Sharia law represents the inalienable rights of Muslims and should not be viewed as a threat to other religions. “No government can deny Muslims their inalienable rights,” he concluded.

Oluwo backs push for Sharia law in South-West

(PUNCH)

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Niger: DSS officers kill three notorious bandits, recover arms, motorbikes

Published

30 minutes ago

December 29, 2024

Trends Admin

DSS Operatives

Niger: DSS officers kill three notorious bandits, recover arms, motorbikes

At least three notorious bandits were on Friday night “neutralized in Dogon Dawa, Mairiga Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State, following a well-coordinated ambush by officers of the Department of State Service (DSS)”.

During the attack, several other bandits, according to sources fled into the bushes with bullet wounds, while the DSS operatives recovered three AK-47 rifles and three motorcycles from the fleeing bandits.

Security sources told Sunday Vanguard that Friday’s ambush by the DSS was the result of weeks of intelligence gathering and the interception and analysis of communication amongst the bandits by the DSS.

“The operation was one of the several daring operations carried out by the DSS in the Northwest and Northeast, leading to the neutralizing or capture of several bandits terrorizing innocents in the zones. The DSS have also led several successful operations against the outlawed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in the South-East”, one of the sources said.

The intelligence gathered by the DSS have greatly assisted the military and other security agencies in neutralizing or capturing several terrorists in many parts of the country.

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“The DSS have, since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Mr. Tosin Ajayi Director-General, ramped up intelligence gathering, and have been generous with sharing such intelligence with the military and other security agencies.

“The ramping up of such intelligence by the DSS, and the sharing of such with the military and other sister security agencies have greatly helped in reducing the number of ambushes on military and other security personnel. It also led to the decimation of IPOB elements in the South-East”.

Corroborating the story, a military officer who chose to remain anonymous, said: “The successes recorded by the DSS and the assistance they have lent us are enonymous, especially since President Tinubu appointed a very capable man to head the DSS.

“I guess most of the successes recorded by the DSS are not being reported in the media because I guess the new DSS DG is sticking to his promise to revert to the covertness which was the hallmark of the DSS in its early years. But I can tell you that the DSS has really been greatly assisting us in the military.”

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Shettima admits killing of civilians in Sokoto airstrikes, tenders apology

Published

34 minutes ago

December 29, 2024

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Vice-President Kashim Shettima

Shettima admits killing of civilians in Sokoto airstrikes, tenders apology

Vice President Kashim Shettima has extended his condolences to the government and people of Sokoto State over the killing of about 10 civilians in airstrike targeted at the Lakurawa terrorist group at Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa communities in Silame Local Government Area.

The villagers lost their lives on December 25, 2024, when the military targeted a logistics base of the Lakurawa insurgent group in the Silame area of Sokoto State, leaving others injured.

The Nigerian Air Force spokesperson, Air Vice Marshal Olusola Akinboyewa, had insisted that the airstrike was carried out based on credible intelligence from multiple sources and confirmatory aerial surveillance.

He however said reports of civilian casualties would be thoroughly investigated.

Meanwhile, the Vice President in a statement by Stanley Nkwocha, his spokesman, extended his sympathy to families of those mistakenly hit by the military onslaught on the terrorist group, noting that it was one of those rare sad moments when innocent civilians were caught in crossfire in the ongoing efforts to rid the country of all forms of terror.

He said, “I would like to extend my deep sympathies and condolences to the Government and people of Sokoto State, particularly families of those who lost their lives in the coordinated joint operation by the air and land components of Operation Fansan Yamma to eliminate Lakurawa terrorist groups at Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa communities in Silame Local Government Area.

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“I must say we are sorry and dismayed at the civilian casualties incurred and the excruciating pain that ensues in these extremely difficult times. I call for understanding, especially when it is considered that our gallant men of the Armed Forces were fighting and paying the supreme price to protect the lives of those caught in the crossfire.

“My thoughts and prayers particularly go out to the relatives of those who perished in the tragic event. May Almighty God ease your pain and grant you the courage and patience to bear the loss.”

Senator Shettima on behalf of the military expressed regret over the incident, just as he solicited more support for the troops, noting that with useful information, the officers would maintain accuracy and precision in fishing out the terrorists from among innocent villagers they are staking their lives to protect.

He said, “On behalf of our gallant officers, I apologise for this great loss. I urge you to continue to give our brave officers the assistance they need in carrying out their operations to ensure a safer country for all of us.

“Let me assure you that the administration of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is hell-bent on weeding out what is left of terror elements in the country and will stop at nothing in ensuring a peaceful Nigeria where farmers work freely in their farms and all Nigerians go about their businesses and other activities without fear of attacks from agents of death.”

Meanwhile, Vice President Shettima on Saturday led a delegation from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on a condolence visit to the government and people of Jigawa State on the passing of the mother and son of the state governor, Alhaji Umar Namadi.

Within 24 hours after the passing of his mother, Hajiya Mariam Namadi, on December 25, the governor lost his eldest son, Abdulwahab Namadi.

Senator Shettima was accompanied on the visit to Hadejia, Jigawa State, by Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State; Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia; some members of the National Assembly from Jigawa State and top government functionaries.

Speaking during the condolence visit, the VP noted that “death is an inevitable destiny that is hanging on everyone’s neck.”

“We are all from Allah, and at the train station with our baggage waiting for the train. From where? From Allah, to where, to Allah. Our bags and baggage are our deeds in this world,” he added.