Alleged vote-buyer there attacked the official Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during the governorship and House of Assembly elections in Kaduna State.
EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement that operatives of the commission were attacked on School Road, Unguwan Rimi area of Kaduna when they were trying to arrest a person suspected of buying votes.
The officer was sent to the polling unit following an intelligence report on an amateur video where a vote buyer, Kabiru Musa, allegedly lured eligible voters by using his phone to transfer money to his account while voting.
According to the statement, EFCC operatives who mobilized to the scene to arrest Mr. Musa were injured.
Narrating the incident, the anti-corruption agency said that the operatives immediately attacked Mr. Musa, he “became unruly and screamed to attract the syndicate members, who went down in the operation, using all their weapons that left some people (operators) injured.
“You have to exercise great restraint for the operatives not to ignore the unwanted attack but to insist on arresting the suspect.”
“While the team was driving with the suspect, the vehicle was pelted with stones and other dangerous objects which damaged the windshield and the three operators sustained different injuries in the process.
“The injured operative is currently being treated at the Kaduna Zonal Command Medical Centre, while the suspect is in custody, pending the conclusion of investigation.
“It will be recalled that the EFCC team was also attacked during the presidential and national elections, causing some vehicles to be badly damaged.”
The statement quoted the EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, as commending “the operatives for showing great restraint in extreme provocations.”
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“But he appealed to the public to desist from attacking Commission officials because such actions will not be repeated,” Bawa added.
Anti-corruption agencies are sending operations to various countries to combat vote-trafficking during general elections.
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