Vote Buying: EFCC Seizes ₦‎32.4m Cash In Lagos; Police Intercepts 500 Thousand US Dollars In PH

By Adesina Soyooye

The deployment of the Operatives of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and other Security Agencies to States and the Federal Capital Territory, to prevent vote-buying is yielding results. The Security Operatives are intercepting millions of Naira and hundreds of thousands of US Dollars, apparently, meant for vote-buying.

In Lagos State on Friday, a yet-to-be named Politician was caught carrying the sum of N32.4 million in cash. He was intercepted by  EFCC Operatives from the Commission’s Ikoyi Zonal Office. He is currently under interrogation.

In Porthacourt, Rivers State, the culprit had no such luck of remaining nameless until after investigation.

Chinyere Igwe, Peoples Democratic Party’s  member of the House of Representatives was intercepted by the Police who searched his vehicle and recovered the sum of about 500,000 US Dollars. The Police also recovered the names of those it was meant for, and how much was allocated to each person. Included, allegedly, are INEC officials and Security Agents. They, also, sat him down in a humiliating position, with the Dollars spread on him.

Igwe has been in the news in the past 48 hours. On Tuesday, both his Radio and Television Stations in Porthacourt, Wish FM and Atlantic Television, were bombed by hoodlums who inflicted heavy destruction to their facilities. Luckily, there was no fatality.

For the records, Igwe is a loyalist of Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and one of those Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, is up against because of loyalty to Atiku.

Abdulrasheed Bawa, EFCC Chairman,implored the Commission’s personnel deployed for election monitoring duties “to show courage and not give room for unscrupulous persons to undermine the integrity of the elections through financial inducement.

Said the report:

“Tactical team of operatives are currently on ground in all the States of the Federation and the FCT. Telephone hotlines have already been circulated through social media for members of the public to share information regarding financial malpractices with agents of the Commission. Details of the number are available on EFCC social media platforms.

“Members of the public are encouraged to report anyone trying to buy or sell votes by making use of the EFCC financial crimes reporting App, Eagle Eye, which is available for download on the Google Play or Apple store. They can also reach the Commission through our social media handle, @officialefcc or by email, [email protected].”