The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says its team of operatives on duty monitoring the presidential and national assembly elections was on Saturday attacked by political thugs near Chief’s palace in Bwari Area council of the Federal Capital Territory.
The attack followed the arrest of a man for allegedly masterminding a well-orchestrated vote buying procedure at the polling unit situated at Science Primary School, Bwari, according to a statement by the commission.
The team had arrested the suspect, said to be about 30 years old, and retrieved from him a list of beneficiaries he had already paid some money to, through an online banking app.
It was at the point of moving the suspect away from the polling unit that the thugs attacked, smashing the windshield of the Commission’s patrol van.
They only retreated into their hideouts after the Commission’s operative responded by releasing warning shots, before members of the Joint Task Force team comprising the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police and others, Arrived the scene.
The incident was immediately reported at the Bwari Police Station.
Similarly, a team of EFCC operatives on election monitoring duty at Unit 001, Mann Primary School behind Chorobim junction was shot at by unknown persons in two black Prado SUV’s and one white Hilux outside the polling unit, suspected to be buying votes. The EFCC team responded, forcing them to flee the scene. The incident was formally reported to DCP Operations, Haruna Femi at the Imo State Police Command.
Meanwhile, operatives some arrests of suspected vote buyers. One Dr. Cletus Tyokyaa, a lecturer with the Sarwuan Tarka University (formerly known as the University of Agriculture), Makurdi, Benue State, was arrested at the RCM Polling Unit in Daudu, Guma Local Government Area of the state with the sum of N306,700 in various denominations stashed in his car.
Luck ran out on the suspect when he drove to the voting centre which was different from his polling unit and tried to run upon sighting operatives of the Commission.
When asked about his mission at the center, Dr. Tyokyaa could not provide a coherent explanation, leading to arrest, and the search of his car revealed the money in various denominations.
He was released after volunteering a statement to the Commission.
The EFCC also arrested a man for alleged vote buying with N194,000 at Gidan Zakka polling unit, Goron Dutse area of Kano Municipal Local Government, Kano State.
A party agent buying votes through bank transfers was also arrested in Abaji in the Federal Capital Territory, while two persons, Stanley Nsemo and Eno Amponsah were arrested in Calabar, Cross River State with the sum of $450 (Four Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars) and N156, 800 on suspicion of alleged votes buying.
Earlier in the day, a woman with 18 voter cards was intercepted in a sting operation at Badarwa area of Kaduna, Kaduna State.
The woman, one Maryam Mamman Alhaji, who is a member of the support group of one of the leading political parties, also had in her possession, a 17-page list containing names of eligible voters, their bank details and phone numbers as accredited under Badarwa/Malali Ward 01 and 08, Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
She was nabbed after undercover operatives pretended they had voter cards and were desperate to sell them.
She is currently being grilled by operatives of the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC, with a view to unravelling other members of her syndicate whom she claimed are also collecting voters’ cards and paying monies through PoS or direct bank transfers.
In another development, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)sent out its officials to monitor elections nationwide.
They were spotted in parts of the country, even as they arrested some persons in attempts to buy votes.
