LESS than 24 hours before the Presidential and National Assembly elections, the Police in Rivers State have arrested a House of Representatives member representing Port Harcourt Federal Constituency II, Chinyere Igwe, allegedly with $500,000.
Spokesperson of the Rivers State Police Command Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed to The ICIR that operatives arrested Igwe Friday morning.
Igwe was alleged to have been arrested with a list of how the money would be shared across all 23 LGAs in the state and for officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The ICIR converted the money allegedly caught with him by the Police at the official exchange rate of N460, giving a value of N230 million.
Igwe is a staunch supporter of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
Abubakar is one of the leading candidates in the election.
A former Commissioner for Urban Development in Rivers State, Igwe has a running battle with the Rivers State government headed by Governor Nyesom Wike.
Wike is an estranged PDP member. He has vowed repeatedly that Rivers State people would not vote for Abubakar.
Because of the raging feud between Wike and the former Vice President, the PDP could not hold its presidential campaign in the River State.
Meanwhile, the River State government had accused Igwe of involving in oil bunkering and sealed his fuel station for allegedly selling bunkered fuel.
Igwe’s arrest came hours after a Chief Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt remanded the lawmaker representing Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Ephraim Nwuzi, at the Nigerian Correctional Centre in the State.
The Police in the State accused Nwuzi, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), of treasonable felony.
He is the APC candidate for the National Assembly election coming up tomorrow Saturday, February 25.
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2023. Contact him via email @ mfatunmole@icirnigeria.org