The police River Countrysouth-south, Nigeria has arrested a federal member of parliament, Chiyende Igwe with $498,100 a day before the start of the 2023 general election.
Mr. Igwe was arrested on Friday, the police said.
“Police officers from the Rivers State Command were dispatched to the INEC Headquarters Aba Road today at about 2:45am, during a stop and search, they arrested Hon Chinyere Igwe, a member of the House of Representatives representing Port Harcourt II Federal Constituency with the sum of USD 498,100 in inside. bag in the car,” said Grace Iringe-Koko in a statement on Friday.
The police said that the list for the distribution of the money was also recovered from the MP.
The police spokesperson said the Assistant Inspector General of Police in the state, Autu Yaro, has ordered the speedy interrogation and arraignment of Mr. Igwe in court.
“The command calls on all contestants and political parties to strictly comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act and other relevant laws.
Mr. Igwe is an ally of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Lelonu Nwibubasa, the spokesperson of the Atiku Campaign Council in the state was unaware of the incident.
A video of Mr. Igwe being interrogated by security agents was released to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday morning by the Rivers State Government.
In the video, Mr. Igwe told the interviewer that he was driving home on Friday (around midnight) when he was flagged down by a stop and search by security agents on Aba road.
“He said I should go down and I went down. He looked and saw the money,” he said in the video.
He said part of the money was to support the party while the rest was his personal money adding that the money was given to him on Thursday where he was left in the car.
“The party system,” he said, when asked who gave him money that wasn’t his. He did not reveal the identity of the man in the short video.
Atiku’s spokesman, Paul Ibe, told PREMIUM TIMES he was not aware of the incident. He also said that he was not aware that Mr. Igwe had any relationship with the PDP presidential candidate.
He said the arrest of Mr. Igwe was part of the game plan of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) “because they have nothing to offer”.
The incident happened two days after Mr. Igwe’s radio and television station attacked by gunmen in the country.
A few months ago, a filling station owned by Mr. Igwe was sealed by the Rivers State Government for alleged involvement in illegal bunkering but the lawmaker denied, saying he was victimized by Governor Nyesom Wike for supporting Atiku.
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