TheCable

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Sulaiman Ishola, accountant-general of Kwara state, for allegedly setting aside N1.5 billion for vote buying.

A source at the commission disclosed this to TheCable on Friday evening.

In a report, the commission listed Nurudeen Banu, commissioner for finance, and Yusuf Abdulkadir, commissioner for water resources, alongside some top officials of the state government that were rested.

“Those arrested and currently being interrogated in respect of the suspicious withdrawal include: Commissioner for Finance, Nurudeen Banu; Accountant General, Sulaiman Ishola; Commissioner for Water Resources, Yusuf Abdulkadir; Head of Service, Susan Modupe Oluwole; Special Adviser, Commissioner for Energy, Eleja Taiwo Banu; Chief of Staff, Abdulwahab Yusuf; officials of the Secretary to the State Government, and those of the Government House,” it said.

“Investigations by EFCC operatives revealed that the said money was withdrawn from the state’s account domiciled with Sterling Bank.”

The report said the withdrawals were uncovered after operatives acted on a petition by a non-governmental organisation, the Kwara Coalition for Good Governance and Accountability, asking for the probe of over N1bn loan that the government secured from a bank a few days before the general elections.

Hassan Omoiya, secretary general of the organisation, noted that intelligence had it that the state government obtained the loan on February 13 from a bank, using the remittance of Kwara State VAT allocation due in February and March 2019 as collateral.

Earlier, the commission announced the arrest of Uzoho Casmir, accountant-general of Imo, who allegedly laundered N1 billion for Rochas Okorocha, the governor.

The commission said the money was meant for inducing voters during the state assembly and governorship elections.