Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had planned to use the said amount to bribe eligible voters
Kaduna By-Election: DSS, Police Arrest PDP Agent With ₦30m Cash for Alleged Vote-Buying
The Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force have arrested a suspected agent of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Shehu Fantagi, with about ₦30 million allegedly set aside for vote-buying ahead of Saturday’s by-elections in Kaduna State.
Fantagi was apprehended on Friday evening at a hotel in Kaduna metropolis, where he was allegedly coordinating the distribution of funds meant to sway voters in the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency election.
Security sources confirmed that the suspect was found in possession of tens of millions of naira in cash, believed to have been earmarked to compromise the integrity of the polls.
The Kaduna State Police Command, in a statement on Saturday, also confirmed the arrest.
“In a sustained and collaborative effort by security agencies to ensure that the forthcoming by-elections in Kaduna State are conducted peacefully and without interference from criminal elements, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in conjunction with the Department of State Services (DSS) have successfully apprehended a vote buyer in Kaduna,” police spokesman DSP Mansir Hassan stated.
“At about 0330hrs of today, we arrested one Shehu Aliyu Patangi at a popular hotel located along Turunku Road in Kaduna metropolis and recovered a total cash sum of Twenty-Five Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty-Three Thousand Naira (₦25,963,000) from the suspect, believed to be earmarked for the purpose of inducing voters to compromise the electoral process.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had planned to use the said amount to bribe eligible voters. On interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime and pleaded for leniency.”
Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Muhammad, commended the synergy between the DSS and Police, stressing that security agencies remain committed to protecting the sanctity of the polls.
He warned: “Anyone, regardless of status, found attempting to undermine the electoral process will face the full wrath of the law.”
The Police Command assured Kaduna residents of maximum security before, during, and after the elections, urging them to come out and vote peacefully without fear or intimidation.
