INEC takes legal action against 1,076 electoral offenders in 2023, Ebonyi, Edo, Anambra leading list
Following the 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), and the Police have finalized arrangements to pursue legal action against at least 1,076 electoral offenders apprehended in 35 states during the electoral process.
In the aftermath of the elections, it has been revealed that approximately 18 case files related to financial crimes committed during the electoral process will be jointly addressed by INEC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Additionally, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has sent one case file to INEC concerning the polls.
A total of 191 case files have been compiled, with the state-wise breakdown indicating that Ebonyi has the highest number of cases at 64, involving 216 suspects. Edo State follows with 22 cases and 80 suspects, while Anambra is in third place with 12 cases implicating 66 suspects.
Kaduna ranks fourth with 11 cases and 36 suspects, and Adamawa secures the fifth position with 10 cases involving 17 suspects. Kano, Rivers, and Osun states share the sixth position with nine cases each, comprising 74, 68, and 47 suspects, respectively. Yobe State occupies the bottom of the list with just one case file implicating two suspects.
The electoral offenses committed range from “culpable homicide and unlawful possession of firearms”, “snatching and destroying of INEC items,” “being in possession of offensive weapons”, and “Misconduct at the polling unit and stealing of election results” among several others.
During a recent meeting with INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the President of the NBA, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, committed that members of the association would offer pro bono legal services for the prosecution of electoral offenders, expressing this as a patriotic duty to their homeland.
“In fulfillment of that pledge, Maikyau in a recent letter to Prof. Yakubu, listed 191 lawyers, including 16 Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, that have accepted to take up cases in the various states free of charge, with the assistance of the Police and INEC for diligent prosecution.”
”The suspects linked to the case files are in custody, they have been investigated and the necessary evidence against them harvested,” said a top official of the commission.
Confirming this development yesterday, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, characterized it as an unprecedented collaboration among INEC, the NBA, and the Nigeria Police.
He stated that letters of authority have been prepared and will be promptly issued to the NBA team to initiate proceedings on all the cases.
However, he clarified that the NBA returned 26 case files to the commission for onward transmission to the Police, as the offenses in question do not fall under electoral offenses as defined by the Electoral Act 2022.
“Besides, suspects involved in 22 out of the cases are either at large or were never apprehended,” he stated.