About 200 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials have been queried for allegedly collecting bribe during the 2015 elections.
A panel headed by National Commissioner Baba Shetiima Arfo is investigating the alleged involvement of some INEC employees in the scam.
About N23.29billion was allegedly disbursed to INEC officials by the then admistration of Goodluck Jonathan.
The money was according to investigators, released by former oil Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Four oil firms, 14 directors of oil companies, two banks, two RECs, more than 16 INEC directors and 82 others are also under investigation.
A source, told The Nation that “About 200 INEC employees who have been implicated in one way or the other in the poll bribery scandal have so far been queried.
“The queries were based on the report of the investigation, which was conducted by the EFCC.
“It is after the panel has concluded its work that a disciplinary action will be taken against the guilty ones.
“Thereafter, the EFCC will proceed with the trial of those with cases to answer,” the source said, adding:
“It is too early to conclude that all the 200 employees will face trial. They are only going through an internal fact-finding process in INEC.
“The panel is actually taking on the implicated employees based on the six geopolitical zones.
“These employees, after answering queries, have been coming to the INEC headquarters to appear before the panel.”
An EFCC source said the agency was ready for the trial of some of the suspects, but “it needs to allow INEC to conclude its internal process”.
“Some suspects acted in connivance with INEC employees and you cannot isolate the cases at hand,” the source said, pleading not to be named so as not to jeopardise the investigation.
INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Wole Osaze-Uzzi said: “A panel is sitting but I cannot confirm the total number of people involved.
“But all those involved will be dealt with administratively without prejudice to what the law enforcement agencies will do.”
Some INEC officers already grilled by EFCC are the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Abia State, Sylvester Ezeani, who has refunded N20million credited to him from the poll cash; Khan for collecting N185, 842,000 out of a N681million bribe deal; Fidelia Omoile (Electoral Officer in Isoko-South Local Government Area of Delta State)—N112,480,000 ; Uluochi Obi Brown( INEC’s Administrative Secretary in Delta State)—N111,500,000; a former Deputy Director of INEC in Cross River state, Edem Okon Effanga—N241,127,000 and the Head of Voter Education in INEC in Akwa Ibom, Immaculata Asuquo—N214,127,000.
Also, a retired INEC official, Sani Isa was grilled over N406,206,000 bribe allegedly collected on behalf of the deceased Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), in Kano State, Alhaji Mukaila Abdullahi.
Source: Dailypost
Good to know this. but no result of the probe
The fight against corruption by the present administration has long been made a rouse.
The present government seems to see corrupt elements as those opposed to APC and the ruling government. We have seen and read about top APC members involved in top corruption cases but none of them has been arrested not to talk of prosecution.
Again, the ploy of using media orchestrated trials doesn’t just cut it. Convictions are done in courts with hard evidence not on media with manufactured and weightless stories.
The Efcc must be determined to completely wage the war against corruption without ethnic, religious, party and tribe colourations. We must first see ourselves as a nation that must survive before ethnic and party qualificatiosn.
Finally, our laws as we have it presently seem to even support criminal and political corruption with the avalanche of options, defenses and remedies available to accused persons before, during and after trials. there is therefore a need to revisit our laws with a view to tightening the loopholes and escape routes inadvertently contained therein.
The national assembly must therefore wake up to this challenge and see that there is a systematic review of our criminal, constitutional and general extant laws in Nigeria
May I thank the admins of this platform for providing the populace an ample opportunity via this platform to follow and analyze public and political happenings in Nigeria timeously.
We wish our voices can be heard as power truly should belong to the people!
It’s indeed a good development but they should try to have results and not medial trials.
Corrupt officials shouldn’t be convicted in the media alone, they should have their days in court and jail terms.
I hope this doesn’t repeat itself in 2019.
It’s not about probe. Let them get convictions and not media probes and trials
Election is fast approaching but no information about the last probe
2019 is almost here, and this has been swept under the carpet
Wow really informative, good to hear
Informative, let’s make this Nation a better place to be.