Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested 20 suspects for alleged electoral offences during the just-concluded Federal Capital Territory local government elections.
The commission also recovered over N17 million allegedly intended for vote buying.
A statement posted on the commission’s official X handle on Sunday noted that the arrests were made on Saturday, February 21, 2026, across the FCT.
According to the EFCC, the suspects were apprehended in Abaji (2), Gwagwalada (9), Kuje (4) and Kwali (4).
“Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Saturday, February 21, 2026, arrested 20 suspects for sundry electoral offences in the just-concluded Federal Capital Territory, FCT, local government elections.
“The suspects were arrested across the FCT, for offences ranging from vote buying, vote selling to obstruction of officers to the tune of N17,218,700.00k (Seventeen Million, Two Hundred and Eighteen Thousand, Seven Hundred Naira only).
“One of the suspects was arrested with a sum of N13,500,000 (Thirteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) in a car parked beside a polling booth in the Kwali Local Government Area.
“Two of the suspects were arrested in Abaji; nine in Gwagwalada; four in Kuje, and the remaining four in Kwali,” the statement read.
The commission stated that the suspects would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
The February 21 elections, held across the six FCT area councils, Abaji, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Kwali and Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), saw reports of inducements.
Election observers, including those from the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), documented instances of financial offers ranging from ₦1,000 to ₦5,000 per voter in several polling units, particularly in Gwagwalada and Kuje.
Results from the polls, declared by INEC on Sunday, showed the All Progressives Congress securing victory in five of the six chairmanship positions, with the Peoples Democratic Party winning one.
PUNCH.
