EFCC arrests 4 INEC officials over alleged diversion of N84.7m

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Sokoto Zonal Office, has arrested four officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for alleged diversion of over N84.6 million for ad Hoc staff allowances.

This was contained in a statement by EFCC spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, made available to newsmen by the commission’s Sokoto Zonal Office, on Wednesday in Sokoto.

He said the arrest was due to a petition by one Abdullahi Nasiru who wrote on behalf of all presiding officers that worked for INEC during the 2019 General elections in Zamfara State.

“This, alleging that the Adhoc staff were denied payment of their N6,000 movement allowance each for the two elections.

“They further alleged that what the Commission paid to them was different from what other states paid their Adhoc staff.

“The Commision allegedly paid its staff the sum of N9,000 in Zamfara while other states like Sokoto State, the commission paid N12,000.

“However, investigation by the EFCC revealed that none of the 10,500 presiding officers who participated in the elections were paid their entitlements commutatively put at N84,696,000,” he said.

Uwujaren added that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.

Those arrested were Hassan Aliyu, Administrative Secretary, Hussain Jafar, Head of Operations, Abdullahi Abubakar, Accountant and Abdulmumin Usman all officials of INEC in Zamfara state.