The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arrested nine persons for alleged vote buying in Osun, Ondo, Borno, Akwa Ibom and Sokoto States during the general elections.
The ICPC Spokesperson, Mrs Azuka Ogugua, said this in a statement in Abuja on Saturday.
Ogugua said the commission arrested four vote buyers in Osun and another two suspects in Sokoto.
According to her, the commission arrested one person each in Ondo, Akwa Ibom and Borno.
“The four suspects, whose ages ranged from 32 years to 69 years, are in the ICPC custody in Osogbo
“ The commission found documents containing lists of names, phone numbers and account details of voters during elections on the suspects.
“Operatives of the commission retrieved a list of names and phone numbers of voters from a suspect (names withheld).
“We arrested the suspect at Polling Unit07, Ward07, Ile Aganna in Olorunda Local Government Area of Osun State,” she stated.
Officers also recovered a list of voters with their phone numbers and account details from another suspect in Ikirun.
ICPC picked another suspect at Polling Unit6, Ward10, Ofatedo area of Osun with notebooks containing 100 names and account numbers.
“The anti-corruption agency also recovered notebooks containing list of voters and account details from a suspect.
“It picked the suspect at Ward5, Polling Unit04 of Ansar-ud-deen Mosque area of Olorunda Local Government.
“The agency’s officers, however, couldn’t arrest one suspect due to the volatility of the area and insufficient armed personnel.
“The Ondo State Office of the ICPC arrested a suspect at Polling Unit12, Ward12 behind Dada Estate Police Station.
“He was arrested for allegedly distributing recharge cards to voters,” the statement read.
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Ogugua said that the ICPC personnel recovered 24 pieces of N500 recharge cards, a list of voters and their phone numbers as well as a techno phone.
In Borno ICPC also arrested one suspect at the Bulunkutu Ward in possession of four PVCs and N49,000 cash.
“The suspect distributed the money, food items and 20 wrappers.
“In the course of his interrogation, the suspect confessed that the money was given to him by a lawmaker to distribute to voters.
“The Akwa Ibom State Office of the ICPC arrested a woman for allegedly collating names and account details of voters suspected to have voted for her preferred candidate.”
The suspect was arrested at the Signature Hotel Polling Unit on Plot 48G Line, Ewet Housing Estate, Akwa Ibom.
In the same vein, the commission’s operatives arrested two persons for alleged vote buying at the Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto.
“The suspect was caught in possession of signed tickets which were given to voters that voted for his party.
“The ticket enabled the voters to collect women’s wrappers and bags of rice.
“Another suspect was intercepted while giving wrappers to voters at a polling unit in Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, has commended the officers of the commission for diligently monitoring the elections across the Federation.
Owasanoye said their efforts had paid off as they helped in curtailing vote buying by representatives of some political parties.
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