We have not been informed of police panel report – INEC

chika ebuzor

February 8, 2017 4:38 AM

According to the police report, N111m was recovered from 23 INEC officials that participated in the elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it was yet to receive the report of the Police panel that investigated activities surrounding the Dec. 10, 2016 parliamentary re-run polls in Rivers.

The panel, which was constituted by police high command submitted report to the Inspector-General of Police on Tuesday in Abuja.

The report said that N111 million was recovered from 23 INEC officials that participated in the elections.

The recovered cash was displayed during the presentation of the report at Police Headquarters,

INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the commission had not been briefed on the report by anybody on it.

He said that when it would see the report and the indictment, INEC would support all processes to prosecute the people allegedly involved the alleged bribery.

Chairman of the panel, Mr Damian Okoro, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, made the allegation while presenting the team’s report to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, in Abuja on Tuesday.

He alleged that three senior election officials collected N20 million each out of the N360 million allegedly given to key officials by the state governor, Nyesom Wike.

He said the other officials received N15 million each.

ALSO READ: Wike denies bribing INEC officials, calls police a shame

According to Okoro, there are some cases of misconduct on the part of some electoral officers, who were compromised in the line of duty

Osaze-Uzzi said “we await the police report; just like everybody saw it on the media that was how we also saw it.

“As at today, they have not communicated to say this is the report.

“We know the panel has submit report to the IG, maybe, he will study it and avail us with the report if need be.”

The director said that the commission would allow the law to take its course on any of its staff members indicted in the alleged bribe.

“If any of our staff has been found culpable, we will deal with him appropriately and then allow the law to take its course.

“If they are charged to court, then normal administrative process will follow.

“If they are convicted, necessary action will be taken. If they are not convicted, we will examine if they have committed any administrative breach.

“If they have committed any administrative breach we will deal with that administratively, while the police will deal with the criminal aspect of it," he added.

“We are determined to weed out any bad egg from the system,” he said.

Osaze-Uzzi said that the commission had been cooperating with the special investigative panel and the police on the matter.

chika ebuzor