EFCC arrests 5 INEC officials for N650m bribe during 2015 elections

The Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC in Cross River State, Gesila Khan and four other staffs that are linked with purported N650.9 million bribe collected during the 2015 general elections.

EFCC sources revealed on Saturday that sensitive INEC election materials for the 2015 presidential and senatorial polls were also found in the residences of some of the suspects, as well as a number of documents on financial and landed properties.

Some of the documents are receipts of purported payments made into their accounts, when they were in charge of elections in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.

Khan, who was the REC in Rivers State during the last general election, purportedly pocked N185, 842,000 out of the sum.

The other suspects and the bribe cash against their names are:

Ø  Fidelia Omoile (Electoral Officer in Isoko-South Local Government Area of Delta State)–N112,480,000

Ø  Uluochi Obi Brown ( INEC’s Administrative Secretary in Delta State)–N111,500,000

Ø  A former Deputy Director  of INEC in Cross River state, Edem Okon Effanga—N241,127,000

Ø  Head of Voter Education in INEC for Akwa Ibom, Immaculata Asuquo–N214,127,000.

A top EFCC source said that “During the preliminary grilling of Khan, she admitted that she went to a bank to identify one Peter Popnen (who is on the run) to collect N185, 842,000.

“We have launched a manhunt for Popnen to ascertain how the deal was struck. As for Fideli Omoile, we discovered that her signature and driver’s license were allegedly used for some of the N112.48m transactions.

“Regarding Uluochi, investigation confirmed that she had $75, 857 in her account with the Bank of America as at February. This indicated that she laundered some of the N111.5m poll bribery cash abroad.

“In any case, we are quizzing her on why she is operating a foreign account in violation of the Code of Conduct Act.”

Another source in the commission said those many officials benefited from the scandal.

It was gathered that all the suspects had been granted bail but they could not fulfil the conditions.

The source said: “EFCC may have no choice than to approach a court for a warrant to detain them.

“I think we may go to court on Monday accordingly.”