Officers of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on election monitoring duties have arrested three persons suspected of buying votes in the Osun State governorship election.
The suspects were identified as Dapo Oloyede , Kamorudeen Nafisat and Ojuade Olaniyi.
A statement by the ICPC spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, disclosed that Oloyede was arrested at the Ife North Local Government, Nafisat and Olaniyi were nabbed at Egbedore local government.
She added that a popular thug attacked and injured the team leader of the ICPC to help a suspect escape in the Obokun local government area of the state.
The statement partly read, “At Ife North & Central Local Government Councils, Osun East Senatorial District, precisely at Polling Unit 7, Iremo Ward IV, one Dapo Olayode (m) was arrested by one of the Commission’s teams. Olayode was arrested with a list containing the names of voters while an Android phone was also collected from him.
“At Egbedore Local Government, Osun West Senatorial District, precisely in Polling Unit 003, Ward 10, Osunbukola Junction, Kamorudeen Nafisat (f) and Ojuade Musbau Olaniyi (m) were arrested by another team for alleged vote-buying. Items collected from the duo included one Android Phone and a notebook containing a list of names of voters.
A third team was attacked by a popular thug and his gang while attempting to effect the arrest of a vote buyer. The attack was at Polling Unit 1, Ward 7, opposite Polaris Bank, in front of Oba’s Palace, Esa-Oke, Ibokun Local Government Area.
“The vote buyer was caught with a list containing names of 100 persons expecting to be paid N5000 each. The team leader sustained serious injury in the fracas that ensued, but the team was able to retrieve the book containing the list of 100 voters.”
Ogugua, however, said the statements of all the suspects were being taken under caution, and investigations were still ongoing.