On Tuesday, the Sokoto Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) carried out an operation at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Zamfara State that resulted in the recovery of N65,548,000 (Sixty-five Million, Five Hundred and Forty-eight Thousand Naira).
The cash in higher denominations of Naira notes was retrieved from two secure fire proofs during a search in the offices of the Head of Accounts and Cashier of INEC in the state
The action was a follow-up to a complaint by the electoral authority’s ad hoc staff, claiming that commission officials had unlawfully withheld part of the payment owed to them for the last general election.
According to the complainant while INEC in Zamfara reportedly paid its ad hoc workers the amount of N9,000, others in states such as Sokoto paid N12,000.
The recovered fund is believed to be part of the funds illegally diverted from releases intended for the transportation of materials and election officials, as well as the procurement of seats, tables and canopies for governorship and presidential elections in the state in 2019.
Before the raid, the commission a few days ago, had arrested four officials of INEC in the state. The officials, Hassan Aliyu, Administrative Secretary; Hussain Jafar, Head of Operations; Abdullahi Abubakar; State Accountant and the Cashier Labaran Ishaka, were picked for alleged conspiracy, breach of trust and criminal diversion of ad-hoc staff allowance to the tune of N84,696,000 (Eighty Four Million, Six Hundred and Ninety Six Thousand Naira).
An investigation by the EFCC revealed that none of the 10,500 presiding officers who participated in the elections was paid their entitlements commutatively put at N84, 696,000 (Eighty-Four Million, Six Hundred and Ninety-Six Thousand Naira).
The 14 Electoral Officers of the state were also arrested. They are: Abdullahi Sambawa, Zurmi LGA; Aliyu Jafaru Goronyo, Maradun LGA; Balarabe Ahmed S Gobir, Gummi LGA; Amadu Ibrahim, Gusau LGA; Mohammed Bashir Musa, Kaura Namoda LGA; Dalhatu Usman Musa,Birnin Magaji LGA; Abdulmumin Usman, Maru LGA; Muhammad Nasir Saidu, Talatu Mafara LGA; Abdullahi A. Ukashatu, Tsafe LGA; Tukur Garba Kaita, Bungudu LGA; Salihu Musa Abdullahi, Bukuyun LGA; Sadiq Abdullahi, Fari Anka LGA; Lawali Muhammed, Argungu Bakura LGA; Jafaru Gide, Shinkafi LGA; Tanimu Muhammad, Shinkafi LGA; and Hassan Abdullahi,Shinkafi LGA.
The investigation is still ongoing while efforts are made to retrieve all fraudulent deductions.