Reports from Edo State indicate that operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested several individuals suspected of vote-buying during the ongoing Edo governorship election.
News About Nigeria reports that the arrests took place in Egor Local Government Area, where accreditation and voting were already underway at various polling stations.
Three suspects—two men and one woman—were taken into custody by EFCC officials. However, their identities had not been confirmed at the time of this report.
The arrests sparked backlash from some residents, who claimed the suspects were being unfairly targeted.
Locals argued that the suspects were being victimised and accused the EFCC of attempting to suppress their voting rights without clear justification.
As tensions rose in the affected areas, the EFCC had not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.
Meanwhile, the governorship election in Edo, which has seen a huge voter turnout, continues to be monitored by local and international observers.
The EFCC had earlier announced that its officers had been deployed across all local government areas in Edo to combat voter inducement during the election.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede reiterated the agency’s commitment to ensuring the integrity of the electoral process by preventing financial incentives that could sway voters.
“Our operatives have been deployed to monitor the conduct of the elections. We are committed to ensuring electoral integrity by allowing voters to cast their ballots freely, without any form of financial inducement. Vote-buying is a financial crime, and the EFCC will not tolerate it anywhere,” Olukoyede stated.
