2023 Election: The EFCC allegedly seizes N32.4 million in new naira notes intended for vote buying in Lagos
2023 Election: The EFCC allegedly seizes N32.4 million in new naira notes intended for vote buying in Lagos
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), agents allegedly intercepted N32.4 million that was going to be used in Lagos State to buy votes.
In a statement released on Friday, February 24, 2023, EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren stated the defendant in issue had been arrested and was being questioned further.
Remember that Abdul-Rasheed Bawa, the chairman of the EFCC, had earlier announced the arrest of a suspect who had over N30 million in new Naira notes.
The statement read;
“The sum of N32, 400,000 (Thirty-two Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira), allegedly suspected to be used for vote buying in Lagos, was intercepted in Lagos, according to a statement from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The massive operation by the EFCC to deter vote trading and other financial malfeasance ahead of tomorrow’s presidential and national assembly elections may have begun paying dividends,”
“Agents from the Commission’s Lagos Zonal Command conducted the recovery. The subject in question has been detained for additional interrogation.
“The Chairman of the Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, has appealed to all Commission personnel assigned to poll monitoring tasks to display bravery and avoid providing opportunities for dishonest individuals to taint the elections by cash inducement.“
All of the federation’s states and the FCT currently have tactical teams of operators on the ground. Social media users have already shared phone hotlines for the public to contact Commission representatives with information about financial misconduct. The number’s specifics are available on the EFCC’s social media channels.
“The public is urged to utilize the EFCC financial crimes reporting app, Eagle Eye, which can be downloaded from the Google Play or Apple store, to report any attempts to purchase or sell votes. Also, they can contact the Commission by one of our social media accounts, @officialefcc
Security personnel had earlier detained Dr. Chinyere Igwe, a federal politician, with $498,100 on suspicion of attempted vote buying and money laundering.
On Thursday, the state’s capital’s Aba Road saw the arrest of the representative for Port Harcourt Federal Constituency 2 in the House of Representatives.
Due to a lack of the new naira notes, millions of Nigerians are suffering as a result of these incidences. In several states, the issue also sparked protests, with outraged residents blocking key thoroughfares to express their disgust.
