During the Rivers State elections on March 18, 2023, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission reported that its agents detained six suspects of vote-buying and other electoral offenses.
The EFCC’s Port Harcourt zonal command apprehended the suspects at various locations.
Speaking in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Mrs. Akpos Mezeh-Ekisowei, the Command’s head of public affairs, revealed this.
Mezeh-Ekisowei said that as soon as the investigations were finished, the suspects would be arraigned in court.
She claimed that the arrests were made as a result of their operatives’ on-the-ground awareness and intelligence during the elections.
According to her,” Because the EFCC is on the ground to make sure that we stop those who want to sell and buy votes.
“We had to send our officers into the field to apprehend such persons. Some arrests were made in Port Harcourt. A total of six persons were arrested.
Mrs Mezeh-Ekisowei further said politicians had devised other means of vote buying at the polling units during the poll due to the scarcity of cash.
“There were lots of complaints that some people were selling votes, some people were buying votes.
“We received about one hundred calls and because the EFCC is on the ground to make sure that it stops those who want to sell and buy votes, even with the issue of lack of physical cash.
“There were other means that these people buy votes. You know one of the means is that they write down their names and telephone numbers.
“It was alleged that these persons have promised to send money to them,” the command spokesperson stated.
“The defendant should have his name registered in the sexual offence register as maintained by Lagos State.”
The judge berated the victim’s mother for being negligent in her care and allowing her child to be taken away by her male colleague, without supervision.
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“The need for proper and good parentage cannot be undermined at this age and time where defilement and rape are the order of the day.
“Parents should be alive to their responsibilities,” Justice Soladoye said.
The state counsel, Mrs Olufunke Adegoke, called two witnesses and tendered two exhibits during the trial while the defendant testified as the sole witness in his defence.
Adegoke said the victim’s mother brought her daughter to the office and left her to attend to other things when the convict quickly removed her pant and had sexual intercourse with her.
She said the convict committed the offence on December 10, 2019, in Magodo, Lagos.
According to her, the offence contravenes the provisions of Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
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