Four suspected vote buyers have been arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Sokoto and Katsina States during the governorship and houses of assembly elections on Saturday, March 18, 2023.
In its election monitoring operations across the States of the Federation, 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 Sokoto State Monitoring Team of the Commission arrested the three male vote-buyers – Mahe Bello, Musa Adamu and Mustapha Mohammed, all of Kauran Miyo Bodinga.
Mahe Bello was caught in possession of a cash sum of #38,000k, two PVCs, one ATM Card and an Infinix phone while Musa Adamu had CFA 228,000 in his possession which was being offered to voters. The third suspect, Mustapha Mohammed, was arrested with some PVCs in his possession.
The ICPC Monitoring Team, however, came under attack while carrying out the arrest of the three vote-buyers. An officer of the Commission, Rabiu Ibrahim, suffered a head injury from being hit by stones. He has been admitted into a hospital and he is in a stable condition.
The three voters were kept in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) before being conveyed to ICPC’s detention facility in Sokoto.
In a related development, the ICPC Katsina State Election Monitoring Team 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 Twenty Thousand Naira (N20,000.00) in different denominations attempting to buy the votes of the electorate.
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.
The 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 her away to the State Office for interrogation.
During a search conducted on her, the sum of Six Thousand Naira (₦6,000) in 500 naira note denominations was found on her. Her statement was obtained and was granted bail.
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.
