•Anti-graft agency probes large scale bribery
Alleged corruption in the 2015 general
elections is back in the news following the
arrest of the Resident Electoral
Commissioner (REC) of the Independent
National Electoral Commission( INEC) in Cross
River State, Gesila Khan and four others by
the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission( EFCC).
The suspects are being held for a
N650.9million 2015 poll bribery scandal, EFCC
sources said last night.
Sensitive election materials for the 2015
presidential and senatorial polls were also
retrieved from the residences of some of the
suspects as were many documents on
financial and landed properties.
Some of the documents are receipts of
payments made into their accounts.
The suspects allegedly committed the poll
bribery fraud in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross
River states.
There were indications that many INEC staff
and Ad hoc workers benefitted from the bribe-
for-poll results scandal.
Khan, who was the REC in Rivers State during
the last general election, allegedly pocked
N185, 842,000 out of the bribe sum under
probe by the EFCC.
The other suspects and the bribe cash
against their names are Fidelia Omoile
(Electoral Officer in Isoko-South Local
Government Area of Delta State)–
N112,480,000; Uluochi Obi Brown ( INEC’s
Administrative Secretary in Delta State)–
N111,500,000; a former Deputy Director of
INEC in Cross River state, Edem Okon Effanga
—N241,127,000 and the Head of Voter
Education in INEC in Akwa Ibom, Immaculata
Asuquo–N214,127,000.
According to investigation by our
correspondent, all the suspects and their
accomplices have made useful statements to
EFCC.
A top source said: ” 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 far
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, EFCC is 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
who benefitted from the scandal appeared to
be many.
The source gave more details on the
confessions of some of the suspects.
“On his part, Effanga told interrogators that
although he cashed the N241,127,000 at a
branch of Fidelity Bank in Calabar, he only got
$290,000 as his share.
“But from his testimony, many INEC staff and
Ad hoc workers benefitted from the loot. We
are probing the sources of these slush funds
which were deployed in some of these states
to bribe INEC staff. Certainly, we are looking
into many accounts which were used by some
INEC staff.”
Asked about Immaculata Asuquo, the source
added: “She said she was directed by the REC
in Akwa Ibom to go and identify Effanga in
order to cash the N241,127,000.”
As at press time, 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.”



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