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– Abia state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) has returned N20million to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) – Meanwhile, the number of INEC staff quizzed by EFCC on the poll bribery cash has risen to about 100 An official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Sylvester Ezeani, who is the Abia state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) has returned N20million to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The money which is part of the N23.29billion bribe given to INEC officials to change the results of the 2015 election by former Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke is said to have provided. “Faced by overwhelming evidence from our team, Ezeani has refunded to the commission N20million, which was traced to him. About N241million was allocated to INEC when Ezeani was the REC in Cross River State during the 2015 poll. “We are working on other INEC staff to refund the cash credited to them from the slush funds. So far, about N503million has been recovered from INEC staff and politicians involved in the poll bribery scandal in Port Harcourt Zone alone. “We are determined to retrieve a huge chunk of the N23.29billion bribe,” an EFCC said. Meanwhile, the number of INEC staff quizzed by EFCC on the poll bribery cash has risen to about 100. “At least about 100 staff of this commission have either been invited or interrogated by the EFCC as part of its ongoing investigation. T5he number could be higher than the current figure because investigation is still in progress. “It is too early to say that these staff have been indicted or not by the EFCC. We are however awaiting a comprehensive brief from the anti-graft commission on its findings on each of the affected staff. “Do not forget that some of them even serve as witnesses for EFCC, depending on the circumstances of their postings during the poll.” Three RECs have been named in the scandal. One of them is dead. Some INEC officers already grilled are REC Gesil Khan for collecting N185, 842,000 out of a N681million bribe deal; 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 others. |
