The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 20 suspects for alleged electoral offences, including vote buying and vote selling, during the February 21, 2026, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.
The arrests, carried out across various locations in the FCT, targeted individuals involved in vote trading and obstruction of electoral officers, with a total sum of N17,218,700 recovered in connection with the malpractices.
A standout incident involved one suspect apprehended with N13,500,000 in cash hidden in a car parked beside a polling booth in Kwali Local Government Area.
The breakdown of arrests by location includes: two in Abaji, nine in Gwagwalada, four in Kuje, and four in Kwali (with the large cash seizure occurring in Kwali).
The EFCC announced the operation via a statement on its official X page, describing the arrests as part of broader efforts to curb electoral malpractice and ensure compliance with the law during the local government polls.
“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,” the commission stated.
It further highlighted the significant recovery: “One of the suspects was arrested with a sum of N13,500,000 in a car parked beside a polling booth in Kwali local government area.”
The agency emphasized that investigations are ongoing, with plans to prosecute the suspects.
“The suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations,” the EFCC added.
The crackdown follows the commission’s prior deployment of operatives to monitor the polls and prevent voter inducement, amid warnings from electoral authorities against vote trading that undermines democratic integrity.
