The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) in alliance with the Police have finalized the plans of arrest and prosecuting no fewer than 1,076 electoral offenders across the 35 States, regarding the result of 2023 general election.
It was posited that 18 case files linked to financial crimes would be dealt with by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Furthermore, with regard to the polls, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission, ICPC, has forwarded one case file to INEC
A breakdown of the distribution by state showed that Ebonyi state has the highest number of cases, 64, involving 216 suspects, while 191 case files have been prepared.
Edo State, follows with 22 cases and suspects, while Anambra is third with 12 cases involving 66 suspects.
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Also, Kaduna ranks fourth with 11 cases, with 36 suspects; Adamawa which is fifth with 10 cases, 17 suspects; While Kano, Osun, and Rivers share the fifth ranking with 9 cases involving 74, 68, and 47 suspects specifically. At the bottom, Yobe State took the position with just one case file involving two suspects.
The electoral offences committed range from “culpable homicide and unlawful possession of firearms”, “snatching and destroying of INEC items,” “being in possession of offensive weapons”, “Misconduct at polling units and stealing of election results” among several others.
During a recent visit to the INEC chairman by Mr. Yakubu, NBA President, Maikyau, SAN. Prof Mahmood Yakubu, promised that, as part of their patriotic duty to their fatherland his members would provide legal services for the prosecution of electoral offenders.
Maikyau in a recent letter to Prof. Yakubu, detailed the interest of 16 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) and 191 lawyers to carry out cases in the various states Without charge with the assistance of INEC for diligent prosecution and Police. In fulfillment of the previous pledge.