ICPC Arrests Four Vote-Buyers in Sokoto, Katsina States

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has arrested four vote-buyers in Sokoto and Katsina states during the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections on Saturday.

Its election monitoring operations across the states of 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.

The spokesperson for the ICPC, Azuka Ogugua, revealed this on Saturday night in a statement obtained by our correspondent.

She noted that the Sokoto State monitoring team of the commission arrested three male vote-buyers; Mahe Bello, Musa Adamu and Mustapha Mohammed, all of Kauran Miyo Bodinga.

Ogugua said, “Mahe Bello was caught in possession of a cash sum of N38,000, two PVCs, one ATM card and an Infinix phone, while Musa Adamu had CFA228,000 in his possession which was being offered to voters. The third suspect, Mustapha Mohammed, was arrested with some PVCs in his possession.”

According to her, the ICPC monitoring team, however, came under attack while carrying out the arrest of the three vote-buyers.

This was as she noted that an officer of the commission, Rabiu Ibrahim, suffered a head injury from being hit by stones, and has been admitted into a hospital and he is in a stable condition.

She added that the three alleged vote-buyers were kept in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps before being conveyed to ICPC’s detention facility in Sokoto.

The PUNCH had reported that the commission had on February 25 arrested nine vote-buyers in Osun, Ondo, Borno, Akwa Ibom and Sokoto states during the presidential and National Assembly elections.

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 Zango Local Government Area of the State.

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.”