‘Vote-buying’: EFCC arrests Benue PDP campaign director with N306,700

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says its operatives have arrested Cletus Tyokyaa, director-general of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship campaign council in Benue, for alleged vote buying.

In a statement on Saturday, the agency said Tyokyaa was arrested at the RCM polling unit in Daudu, Guma LGA of the state, with the sum of N306,700 in various denominations stashed in his car.

It said Tyokyaa, who is also a lecturer at the Sarwuan Tarka University (formerly known as the University of Agriculture), Makurdi, the state’s capital, could not provide a logical explanation for visiting the polling unit.

“Luck ran out on the suspect when he drove to the voting centre which was different from his polling unit and tried to run upon sighting operatives of the Commission,” the statement reads.

“When asked about his mission at the center, Dr. Tyokyaa could not provide a coherent explanation, leading to arrest, and the search of his car revealed the money in various denominations.”

It said Tyokyaa was released after volunteering a statement to the commission.

In a related development, the EFCC said it arrested a man for alleged vote buying with N194,000 at the Gidan Zakka polling unit, Goron Dutse area of Kano Municipal LGA, Kano state.

It also arrested a party agent buying votes through bank transfers in Abaji in the federal capital territory (FCT), while two persons named Stanley Nsemo and Eno Amponsah were arrested in Calabar, Cross River state with the sum of $450 and N156,800 on suspicion of alleged votes buying.

The EFCC said its operatives intercepted a woman with 18 voter cards in a sting operation in Badarwa area of Kaduna state.

The anti-graft agency said the woman, Maryam Mamman Alhaji, who is a member of the support group of one of the leading political parties, also had in her possession a 17-page list containing names of eligible voters, their bank details and phone numbers as accredited under Badarwa/Malali Ward 01 and 08, Kaduna North LGA of Kaduna state.

“She was nabbed after undercover operatives pretended they had voter cards and were desperate to sell them,” the EFCC said.

“She is currently being grilled by operatives of the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC, with a view to unraveling other members of her syndicate whom she claimed are also collecting voters’ cards and paying monies through PoS or direct bank transfers.”