The Nigeria Police Force says it has recovered a total of N114 million out of N360 million paid to 23 staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as bribe by the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike to influence the 2016 bye-election results.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Joseph Egbonike, disclosed this on Tuesday while appearing before the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on assessment and status of all recovered loot, movable and immovable assets from 2002 to 2020, according to SaharaReporters.
Egbonike told the committee that the actual money offered was N360 million which they discovered in the course of their investigation.
The police boss said those who collected the money from the governor were 23 in number, out of which only N114,290,000 million could be recovered since that time.
When asked to emphasise exactly what the money was meant for said, he said, “There was a governorship rerun in 2016 between Governor Nyeaom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition at that time, which was the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the sum of N360 million money was offered as bribe to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials during the 2016 rerun governorship election in Rivers State.”
He added that all the accused have been prosecuted at the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, but the judgement which was delivered in favour of the Federal government was appealed against hence, it was still pending.
“The said matter is still in court and I wouldn’t want to speak much on it, but the said amount you are referring to was recovered from 23 officials of INEC during the 2016 rerun elections of the National and State Assembly which was rigged in favour of PDP.
“Although, the persons involved have been prosecuted and convicted, the matter has been appealed and not dispensed.”
Part of the police report released to journalists after the committee’s sitting showed a recovery of the sum of N114, 290, 000 by the Rivers State Police Command.
“On 10th December, 2016, during the National and State Assembly rerun elections in Rivers State, efforts were put to rig the said election through inducement, bribery and intimidation of electoral officials, as the sum of three hundred and sixty million naira (N360, 000,000.00) was given by governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, to twenty three (23) electoral officials, deployed to Rivers State from Anambra, Oyo and Plateau States, to compromise and influence the outcome of the election.
“Consequently, on receipt of the intelligence, our investigation panel under the IGP Monitoring unit was set up, following which the sum of 114 million, two hundred and and ninety thousand (114, 290, 000.00) was recovered from the 23 INEC officials and deposited into the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“Account Name: IGP Special Joint Investigation Panel on Rivers Re-run Election of 10/12/2016 with Remita Retrieval Reference number 3401-58076328. Details of payment and breakdown of the recovery are attached here.
“Appendix ‘C&C1-Summary of recovery from 23 INEC Officials
C2-Payment slips into CBN Account Zenith Bank with Remita Retrieve reference number 3401-5807-6328.
“All suspects are being prosecuted before the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, River State by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federation,” the report read.
