The Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has admitted that it had arrested Alhaji Babalele Abdullahi, a son-in-law to the defeated presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, over an alleged laundering of the sum of €150 Million.

Babalele is also the Finance Director of Atiku’s group of companies.

The EFCC did not however specify how the huge sum was laundered or where it originated and where it terminated.

A source in the commission said: “yes, Babalele is being investigated over alleged case of money laundering and the sum involved is €150 million.

“Let it be known that investigation into the matter is ongoing and we can confirm that Babalele is in our custody. But he will be released soon,” the source hinted today.

Source: Vanguard.

The Nigeria Police Force has announced that no fewer than 323 persons have been arrested and are in detention across the country for alleged electoral offences during the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, who spoke today at a meeting with officers in the ranks of Commissioners of Police and above on Monday in Abuja, said that two officers of the force paid the supreme price while some others were assaulted and injured while discharging their duties during the polls.

Mohammed Adamu said that the Special Election Investigation Team (SEIT) had been directed to investigate all the cases, liaising with INEC to ensure prosecution, adding that the perpetrators of the violence would be fished out and brought to justice no matter their status.
The police boss reassured Nigerians and the international community of the commitment of the force to work closely with INEC and other sister security agencies towards a peaceful election.

He said the personnel of the force should remain civil, firm, professional and apolitical in the discharge of their duties even as he warned all political actors against violence and urged them to play the game in line with the Electoral Act.

“Doing otherwise shall attract the full and appropriate response from the police and other security agencies.”

On the possibility of arming personnel at polling units, he insisted that no policeman would be allowed to carry arms at polling units, saying that it is against the electoral act and international law for officers to use arms at polling units.
Mohammed Adamu said that the force would continue to pay officers their allowances ahead of their deployment for election duty.

He said that the meeting was aimed at debriefing strategic commanders and evaluating the performances of officers during the last elections.

The police boss said the meeting would also afford the force to perfect plans for the March 9 Governorship and State Assembly elections.

Source: NAN.

Former National Legal Adviser of the Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA), Rafiu Balogun has said that it is wrong for the Presidential candidate of the Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar to describe the February 23, 2019 election as the worst in Nigeria’s history.

He insisted that the elections of February 23 were credible and fair, saying that the barrage of accolades coming from foreign observers and international communities had lent credence to the credibility of the poll.

Rafiu Balogun who was also chairman of Kwara State, advised Atiku to approach the court if he has genuine evidence of electoral infractions, even as he cautioned him against making incendiary comments acts that are capable of throwing the nation into chaos.

“For anyone to say that the last election was the worst in Nigeria’s history, that is not correct.

“I think our leaders should be honest whenever they are reacting to issues.

“We have had elections in the past supervised by the PDP and we know how they all ended. Many of such elections were upturned by the tribunals.

“Even during the era of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, who was a member of PDP, he publicly acknowledged that the election that brought him in was fraught with irregularities.

“So, how can Atiku tell us now that the last presidential election was the worst in Nigeria? Except Atiku and his party have other evidences. Let them bring it out and show it to the public.

“We must give kudos to INEC in spite of the pockets of violence. Because there must be human errors, that does not mean that we should score INEC low.

“For me, I think they have tried their best to give us this election. INEC has been transparent enough.”