Vote buyers attack EFCC operatives in Kaduna

The operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on election monitoring duty were attacked at School Road, Unguwan Rimi Kaduna while attempting to arrest a suspected vote buyer during the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in Kaduna State on Saturday.

This was disclosed via a statement issued by the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren.

Uwujaren stated that the EFCC operatives, while working on intelligence on the alleged activities of one Kabiru Musa who was seen in a video allegedly inducing eligible voters by using his phone to transfer money into their accounts as they cast their votes, mobilised to the scene to arrest the suspect.

“However, immediately he was accosted by the operatives, Musa became unruly and screamed to attract the attention of his syndicate members, who descended on the operatives, using all manner of weapons that left some of them injured. It took great restraints for the operatives to ignore the unprovoked attack but insisted on arresting the suspect.

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“As the team drove away with the suspect, their vehicle was pelted with stones and other dangerous objects that damaged the windshield and three operatives suffered varying degrees of injuries in the process,” the EFCC spokesman noted.

He disclosed that the injured operatives of the anti-graft agency are currently receiving medical attention at the Medical Centre of the Kaduna Zonal Command, adding that the suspect is in EFCC custody, pending the conclusion of the investigation.

It would be recalled that EFCC operatives were attacked during the presidential and National Assembly elections, leaving some of its vehicles damaged.

Reacting to the incident, the chairman of the anti-graft, Abdulrasheed Bawa, commended the operatives for exercising great restraint under extreme provocation.

Bawa, however, urged Nigerians to desist from attacking EFCC officers, saying such action would no longer be tolerated.

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The Star