The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to charge some officials to court and dismiss some others for allegedly receiving N23bn from ex Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke as bribe during the 2015 election.
Some of the officials who have returned N400million will not be prosecuted. The acting chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, and the Chairman of INEC, are set to meet tomorrow so as to see the reports for the investigation.
The EFCC started investigating the INEC officials in the South-South in March and is said to have arrested several officials, including the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State during the 2015 election, Gesila Khan.
However, further investigations revealed that the bribery allegedly took place across Nigeria and this has led to a general investigation by the EFCC zonal offices.
The EFCC had, in April, arrested the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the 2015 elections in Rivers State, Mrs. Gesila Khan, and other officials of INEC that conducted elections in Delta an Akwa Ibom states.
Khan had been quizzed by the Department of State Services in July last year but was never charged.
The residences of all the suspects were subsequently searched and incriminating documents were recovered by the commission.
The anti-graft agency had earlier arrested some INEC officials in connection with the bribe money.
Fidelia Omonile, INEC electoral officer in Isoko South local government area of Delta state was arrested after N112.4m was traced to her, with some vital documents.
Some other persons arrested include; Edem Okon Effanga, a retired INEC official, Immaculata Asuquo, head Voters’ Education, Akwa Ibom state and Oluchi Brown, INEC Administrative Secretary in Delta state, for allegedly receiving N111.5m.
Ahmed Biu, the electoral officer for Akko LGA, and Mohammed Zannah the officer in charge of Gombe local government area, is alleged to have admitted to the crime, by collecting the bribe from Yunusa Biri, a retired electoral officer.
Some other detained officers as regards to the bribe are; Godwin Maiyaki, Gambo Balanga, Bukar Benisheik, Dukku, Jibril Muhammed, Billiri, Dunguma Dogona, Funakaye, Mohammed Wanka, Kaltungo, Ishaku Yusuf, Kwami, Suleiman Isawa, Babagana Malami, Shongom and Nuhu Samuel.
Dieziani Allison-Madueke, is the first female president of OPEC. She was appointed Minister of Petroleum Resources in April 2010.
She was charged with responsibility for $20billion missing from the petroleum agency.