The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday said its Sokoto Zonal Office has arrested Hassan Sidi Aliyu, Administrative Secretary; Hussain Jafar, Head of Operations; Abdullahi Yusuf Abubakar, State Accountant and Abdulmumin Usman all of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) in Zamfara state.
A statement from the spokesman of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said they were arrested for an alleged case of conspiracy, breach of trust and criminal diversion of Adhoc staff allowance to the tune of N84,696,000.
He said the petitioner, one Abdullahi Nasiru, who wrote on behalf of all presiding officers that worked for INEC during the 2019 Presidential and Gubernatorial elections in Zamfara state, alleges that the Adhoc staff were denied payment of their N6,000 movement allowance each for the two elections.
Uwujaren said the petitioner states that what the Commission paid to them was different from what other states paid their Adhoc staff.
He said the INEC allegedly paid its staff the sum of N9,000 in Zamfara while in other states like Sokoto state, the commission paid N12,000.
Uwujaren said an 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 effort is being made by the Commission to recover the money criminally diverted by the three INEC heads of department and Electoral Officers of the 14 local governments in Zamfara state.
He said these include: Abdullahi Sambawa, Zurmi LGA; Aliyu Jafaru Goronyo, Maradun LGA; Balarabe Ahmed S. Gobir, Gummi LGA; Amadu Ibrahim, Gusau LGA; Mohammed Bashir Musa, Kaura Namoda LGA; Dalhatu Usman Musa, Birnin Magaji LGA; Abdulmumin Usman, Maru LGA; Muhammad Nasir Saidu, Talatu Mafara LGA; and Abdullahi A. Ukashatu, Tsafe LGA.
Others are: Tukur Garba Kaita, Bungudu LGA; Salihu Musa Abdullahi, Bukuyun LGA; Sadiq Abdullahi, Fari Anka LGA; Lawali Muhammed, Argungu Bakura LGA; Jafaru Gide, Shinkafi LGA; Tanimu Muhammad, Shinkafi LGA; and Hassan Abdullahi, Shinkafi LGA.
“The suspects would be arraigned in court as soon as the investigation is completed,” Uwujaren said.
