BRIBERY: Reps discover N360m linked to Rivers INEC officials
By Lizzy Chirpi
The House House of Representatives ad hoc Committee on assessment and status of all recovered loots, movable and immovable assets from 2002 to 2020 on Tuesday discovered that the sum of N360million was allegedly given as bribe to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials during the 2016 rerun governorship elections in Rivers State.
It was also established that governor Nyisome Wike allegedly offered the above amount as bribe to 23 INEC officials during the exercise but the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) was able to successfully recover N144million only.
The following discoveries were made at the resumed hearing of the House investigative panel on Tuesday as the representative of the Nigeria Police Force, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Mr Joseph Egbonike was asked questions on recoveries it has made so far during the time under review.
In the cause of cross examination of documents submitted by the NPF on the subject matter, the Committee sought for more detail explaination on the alledged N360million recovery funds linked to governor Nyisom Wike.
According to the DIG, “the said matter is still in court and I wouldn’t want to speak much on it but the said amount you are referring to was recovered from 23 officials of INEC during the 2016 rerun elections of the National and State Assembly which was rigged in favor of PDP. Although, the persons involved have been prosecuted and convicted but the matter has been appealed and not dispense
However documents sighted by our correspondent revealed that out of the N360million million given as bribe to the INEC officials, N144million was recovered.
According to the documents, ” During the 10th December, 2016, National and State Assembly rerun elections in Rivers State, efforts were put to rig the said election through inducement, bribery and intimidation of electoral officials, as the sum of three hundred and sixty million naira (N360, 000,000.00) was given governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, to twenty three (23( electoral officials, deployed to Rivers State from Anambra, Oyo and Plateau States, to compromise and influence the outcome of the election. consequently, on receipt of the intelligence, our investigation panel under the IGP Monitoring unit was set up, following which the sum of 114 million, two hundred and and ninty thousand (114, 290, 000.00) was recovered from the 23 INEC officials and deposited into the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“Account Name: IGP Special Joint Investigation Panel on Rivers Re-ru
Election of 10/12/2016 with Remita
Retrieval Reference number 3401-58076328. Details of payment and breakdown of the recovery are attached here,
Appendix ‘C&C1-Summary of recovery fron 23 INEC Officials
C2-Payment slips into CBN Account Zenith Bank with Remita Retrie reference number 3401-5807-6328.
“All suspects are being prosecuted before the Federal high Court, Port Harcourt, River State by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federation”.
Meanwhile, the NEMA, NSIA, CBN, NDLEA shunned committee invitation as chairman of the committee, Mr Adejoro Adeogun was silent on their absence.
