KADUNA — Security operatives in Kaduna have arrested a suspected vote buyer with a staggering ₦25,963,000 in cash, just hours before Saturday’s bye-elections are set to begin in parts of the state.
The suspect, identified as Shehu Aliyu Patangi, was apprehended around 3:30 a.m. at a popular hotel along Turunku Road by a joint team of the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Spokesman of the Kaduna Police Command, DSP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the arrest, disclosing that preliminary investigations revealed the cash was meant to induce voters and compromise the integrity of the polls.
“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,” Hassan said.
Quoting the state Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Muhammad, the spokesman warned that the Command would not hesitate to prosecute anyone found attempting to undermine the electoral process.
“We wish to reiterate that anyone found attempting to undermine the electoral process will face the full wrath of the law,” CP Muhammad stated.
The Command further cautioned political actors and their supporters against thuggery, violence, and other unlawful acts, noting that intelligence reports had uncovered plots by certain politicians to instigate unrest during the bye-elections.
The arrest has heightened tensions in Kaduna as authorities vow to ensure free, fair, and credible polls.
Comments