Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), have arrested some people including a top Bauchi state government official during the Dass State Assembly Constituency by-election on Saturday over alleged vote buying.
Mr. Abdon Dalla Gin, a Special Adviser to the Bauchi state Governor on Civil Service Affairs was arrested at his Social Welfare Polling Unit shortly after casting his vote.
Gin was arrested by the EFCC Officials when he was driving out of the polling unit after casting his vote.
Some Members of the Correspondents’ Chapel who were at the scene of the arrest to told WikkiTimes that anti graft agency Officials searched Mr. Gin car and took an undisclosed amount of money.
A journalist who pleaded anonymity told this medium, “I was there as an eyewitness when the incident happened but I can categorically tell you that the EFCC did not find him giving anyone money at the Polling Unit.
“What happened was that, he came and cast his vote and we interviewed him. After that, many people came to him and he asked them to go away since election was ongoing.
“He drove out of the vicinity of the Polling Unit when suddenly, the DSS and the EFCC came and blocked his car and they asked him to stop.
“They asked him to come out so he can be searched. He came down and gave them his identity card and told them that he was a government official, but they insisted on searching him.
“He obliged them and they searched his body and found nothing on him. They searched his car but found nothing. They searched his booth and found some money. I really don’t know how much exactly it was.
“But the truth is that, these security agents did not see this man giving money to anyone.”
The Commissioner of Police, Lawan Jimeta, who spoke to journalists at the Dass Divisional Police Headquarters, confirmed the arrest.
“There is a report going round that somebody was arrested by either EFCC or ICPC, I am yet to confirm that so far.”
A Member of the legal team of the People’s Democratic Party in the state, Barrister Muktar Abubakar, who spoke to journalists shortly after Mr Gin was released, said that Gin was arrested for having money in his car on election day.
“I am here to render services to Mr. Abdon Gin, who was just arrested by the the DSS and the EFCC. He was arrested on a suspicion that he was having money in his car on the day of election but there was no evidence of giving money to anyone.”
“Let me tell you that vote buying is a situation that somebody gives money to another person to induce that voter. You journalists were there, you people saw what happened and even if this matter goes to court, you can stand in as witnesses.
“They stopped him when he was driving his car and they found money in his booth and he is a former Head of Service of Bauchi state, he is a high profile personality in the state, he is capable of having over N500,000. He is a pensioner and a farmer and he has a lot means.”
Dalla was held and interrogated for about five hours by the operatives of the EFCC.He was later released on bail.
