Bye-Elections: Suspected vote buyer nabbed with N25.9m

A suspected vote buyer has been arrested in Kaduna with ₦25.9 million allegedly set aside to influence voters ahead of today’s bye-elections. The Kaduna State Police Command, working with the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies, confirmed that the suspect, identified as Shehu Aliyu Patangi, was apprehended at about 3:30 a.m. on Saturday at a hotel along Turunku Road in Kaduna metropolis.

Police said preliminary investigations revealed that the cash was intended for voter inducement. During interrogation, Patangi reportedly admitted to the plan and asked for leniency.

The Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Muhammad, through the command’s spokesperson DSP Mansir Hassan, commended the joint efforts of security agencies in making the arrest. He described it as a vital step in protecting the integrity of the electoral process and warned that anyone found attempting to compromise the elections, regardless of status, would be prosecuted.

Muhammad assured residents that adequate security measures have been put in place to guarantee a peaceful, free, and fair election. He urged the public to come out and vote without fear or intimidation, emphasizing the command’s commitment to maintaining order before, during, and after the polls.