By Ahmed Ajikobi
The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested twenty persons for offences bordering on vote buying during the governorship and state assembly elections held on Saturday, March 18, 2023, across the State.
The suspects are Adekunle Ademola, Wasiu Raimi, Laaro Rasheed, Alagbe Taiwo, Boniface Victory, Kayode Toba, Adeoye Adetunji, Lawal Favour, Abidoye Victoria Moradeyo, Magaji Iliasu, Abdulkadir Abdulmumini and Musa Lateef Olasunkanmi.
Others are Marudeen Sadiq, Abogunrin Jimoh Oluwasesan, Funmilayo Lawal, Olawuyi Bolarin, Garuba Ismail, Abiola Abogunrin, Amidu Tiamiyu and Usman Abdulazeez.
The suspects, who were arrested at different polling units across the State, were caught with incriminating items including cash of various sums, a notebook containing a list of voters’ names, POS machine, mobile phones and voter cards among others.
Speaking with Journalists, the acting zonal Head of the Ilorin zonal office, Michael Nzekwe said: “Our mandate as EFCC is to ensure that money influence in politics is totally cut out and eradicated.
“The suspects were picked in different locations across the state, with money and POS machines found in their god session.”
He added that the commission got credible intelligence and acted on it, upon interrogation, some suspects identified themselves as party agents while some admitted distributing money to induce voters.
“Investigations are still ongoing to determine the culpability of each suspect in the alleged offenses.” He noted.
