The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has said that it  has concluded arrangements to prosecute a top official of the  Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for collecting bribes during the 2015 general election.

Gogo Anderson Waribo, a Deputy Director of INEC in Akwa Ibom State, and former Electoral Officer in Rivers State, was accused of collecting N16 million from the N23 billion Diezani Allison-Madueke bribery fund during the 2015 election.

A statement on the official Facebook page of the EFCC indicated that “Waribo was arrested … following intelligence report that some INEC officers conspired with some staff of Fidelity Bank to defraud the Federal Government of several millions of naira.”

“Although, he has consistently denied involvement in the fraud (but) investigation revealed that the INEC Deputy Director’s name is on the list of beneficiaries of the money,” the statement read further.

“He is alleged to have received the sum of N16 million through his First Bank account on March 27, 2015” out of which he “allegedly gave N5 million… to Peter Popnen, an ex- INEC official.”

The EFCC stated that “the suspect will be arraigned in court as soon as investigation is completed.”

Recall that a panel of inquiry set up by the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris, to look into elections in Rivers state,reported that it recovered millions of Naira from alleged corrupt INEC officials.

The Panel said the monies were part of the bribe paid to the INEC officials by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, in order to manipulate election results.

The 2015 General Election and subsequent re-run exercises in Rivers State have been described by local and international observers as  characterized by large scale violence and malpractice.