Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim
Magu has vowed that the Commission will prosecute all staff of the
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,
Indicted for corruption
in the conduct of the 2015 general election.
“We are already prosecuting some of the INEC staff, we have started
in Lagos and we are in the process in Port-Harcourt, Kano and Gombe”,
Magu disclosed.
The EFCC boss spoke on Thursday April 13 while playing host to INEC
Chairman, Professor Mahmud Yakubu, who led other management staff of the
electoral body on a courtesy visit to the EFCC head office, Abuja.
Expressing satisfaction with the collaboration between the two
agencies, Magu commended the INEC boss for supporting the investigation
affecting some of his staff members.
“What you have done will change the course of electioneering in this country, by bringing in sanity and credibility.
“It will send a signal and serve as deterrent to any person who may
wish to perpetrate fraud in the electoral process whether as a monitor
or staff of INEC”, he said.
Magu assured INEC of EFCC’s continued support, noting that the
agency’s functions were central to the future of the country, and that
the 2019 election “must be different”.
Yakubu while appreciating the EFCC, revealed that some of the
indicted INEC staff had made refunds of their share of the over N3.4
billion bribe money.
He added that from the list received from EFCC, 70 staff across 3
states of the federation are still in denial and will be referred to the
EFCC for further investigation.
Yakubu said about 5 political appointees – National Commissioners and
Resident Commissioners – were found wanting, while 21 retired staff
mostly acting under the aegis of WANEO (West African Network of Election
Observers) were indicted and have been blacklisted from monitoring
election or any activity organized by the Commission.
“If we get our election right, we get our democracy right as the
right people will be elected and once we get our democracy right we will
get national progress and development on track.
“INEC and the EFCC are on the same page in this big responsibility of sanitising the country, he said”
The delegation from INEC included Amina Bawa Zakari, Baba Arfo
Shetima, Prof OkeyIbeanu, Engr Abubakar Nahuche , Mohammed Haruna ,
Professor Anthonia Okoosi Simbine, Musa H. Adamu, Oluwole Osaze Uzzi,
and Rotimi Oyekanmi
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