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Police Displays N100m Bribe Recovered from INEC Officials

By Nuel Nonny | 7th February 2017

Today, the Nigerian Police put on display N100 million cash recovered from officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said to have been involved in election fraud during the recent rerun polls in Rivers state.

Following a series of allegations and counter-allegations of inducement during the Rivers rerun elections, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris,prompted the police to commission an investigation panel.

In a leaked audio recording, a voice widely reported to be that of the Rivers state governor, Mr Nyesom Wike, was heard telling an election official that he had paid the requested sum to ensure victory for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Governor Wike was also purportedly heard threatening to kill the election officials should the results not go his way.

It is not the first time INEC officials have been indicted for receiving bribes. For many months now, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the police force have been investigating claims that former Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, tried to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election by bribing election officials.

A total sum of about N23 billion believed to have been sourced from persons involved in oil theft was said to have been distributed by the minister to various organisations, individuals and INEC officials to ensure victory for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

BRIBE: N111 million recovered from @inecnigeria officials by @PoliceNG Special Investigation Panel on Rivers State rerun elections#IGPIdris pic.twitter.com/APZ4pTOKmA
— Abayomi Shogunle, ???????????? (@YomiShogunle) February 7, 2017

Concerning the Rivers rerun elections, the INEC leadership handed over indicted members of staff for interrogation by the police with many agreeing to return sums received as bribe.

On Tuesday, head of the police public complaints response unit, Abayomi Sogunle, shared images of the sum of N100m cash recovered from the INEC officials.