Security operatives in Kaduna State have apprehended a suspected vote buyer with cash totalling N25,963,000, just hours before the commencement of the scheduled bye-elections in parts of the state.
The suspect, identified as Shehu Aliyu Patangi, was arrested at about 3:30 am on Saturday by a combined team of operatives from the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) at a well-known hotel located along Turunku Road in Kaduna metropolis.
According to the Kaduna State Police Command, preliminary investigations indicated that the recovered cash was allegedly meant to be used to induce voters and compromise the integrity of the electoral process.
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Spokesperson of the Command, DSP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the arrest in a statement, disclosing that the suspect had confessed during interrogation and pleaded for leniency.
Quoting the Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Muhammad, the statement warned that the Command would not tolerate any attempt to subvert the democratic process through illegal acts such as vote buying, thuggery, or electoral violence.
“The suspect was arrested with the said amount, believed to have been earmarked for bribing voters. He confessed to the crime and begged for mercy. We wish to reiterate that anyone found attempting to undermine the electoral process will face the full wrath of the law,” CP Muhammad was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Police Command has cautioned political actors and their supporters against acts of violence or any conduct capable of disrupting the smooth conduct of the bye-elections.
The Command disclosed that it had received credible intelligence on plans by some politicians to instigate unrest. It assured that adequate security personnel have been deployed to polling units, collation centres, and identified flashpoints across the state to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
“The Command will deal decisively with troublemakers. Anyone, no matter how highly placed, who engages in violence, intimidation, vote buying, or thuggery will be arrested and prosecuted,” the statement stressed.
The police further assured residents of Kaduna State of their safety before, during, and after the elections, urging eligible voters to come out en masse and exercise their civic responsibility peacefully without fear of harassment or intimidation.
