BUSTED!! Wike Paid ₦360 Million Bribe To Rig 2016 Elections, ₦114 Million Recovered – Police

Forum 2 years ago

BUSTED!! Wike Paid ₦360 Million Bribe To Rig 2016 Elections, ₦114 Million Recovered – Police

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Joseph Egbonike, on Tuesday, said about N114,290 000 million out of N360 million bribe for the 2016 bye-election results allegedly offered by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike to 23 staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been recovered.

The DIG of Police appeared before the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on assessment and status of all recovered loot, movable and immovable assets from 2002 to 2020 on Tuesday.

The officer, who confirmed the development to the panel, explained that the actual money offered was N360 million which they discovered in the course of their investigation, saying that the officers of the electoral umpire were actually involved but couldn’t recover the entire funds since 2016 that it happened.

The officer who appeared on the invitation of the panel when asked by the chairman to emphasise exactly what the money was meant for 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.”

The Police said, those who benefitted from the governor were 23 in number, out of which only N114,290,000 million could be recovered since that time.

Responding to a number of questions by the panel members in a cross-examination from documents and exhibits previously submitted to the Committee, the DIG further explained that the matter has been taken to Court after the conclusion of the police investigation.

According to him, 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.

Meanwhile, the police report and other related documents which were obtained by DAILY POST on Tuesday after the Committee sitting, showed a recovery of the sum of N114 290,000 by the Nigeria Police, Rivers State Command out of N136 million from INEC staff.