During the Federal Constituency by-election on Saturday, the Ogun State Police Command detained two people who were described as representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, together with a sizable quantity of cash that was allegedly meant for vote-buying in Iperu Remo.
Around 12:45 a.m., the suspects, Toryem Joe-Stans and Mandara Aminat, were captured with their driver in a Mitsubishi Spacewagon registered LAGOS AKD 887 HT.
A patrol unit from the Iperu Remo Division reportedly stopped the car, according to police spokesperson Omolola Odutola.
“A cash amount of two million five hundred thousand naira (N2,500,000) was recovered from Mr. Joe-Stans Toryem following a search of the vehicle,” she said.
He admitted after questioning that, at the direction of his boss, the money was obtained from a man he called “Political Solution” at the Kehoy Hotel in Iperu, Ogun State.
The Intercept reports that a video showing the arrest of the two INEC staff, a top politician in Ogun State, and three others with large amounts of money suspected to be for vote-buying in the ongoing Remo Federal Constituency bye-election circulated in the early hours of Saturday.
A voice in the background of the video explained that the INEC official claimed to have been contacted by his constituency supervisor to meet a particular politician at the hotel.
However, the politician in the video immediately distanced himself, saying, “I don’t know anything about this money you’re talking about and I am still waiting for you (the police) to tell me why I am here.”
Odutola stated that the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, has ordered that the suspects be transferred to the State CID, Eleweran, for immediate and discreet investigation.
She assured members of the public that monitoring of the election is ongoing and that the command will keep the public informed of the outcome of the investigation.
