2023 Elections: EFCC Election Monitoring Teams Attacked In Abuja, Imo

A team of operatives from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who were on duty monitoring the presidential and national assembly elections on Saturday, February 25, was attacked by political thugs near Chief’s palace in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

The attack followed the arrest of a man for allegedly masterminding a well-orchestrated vote buying procedure at the polling unit situated at Science Primary School, Bwari.

The team had arrested the suspect, said to be about 30 year-old, and retrieved from him a list of beneficiaries he had already paid some money to, through an online banking app.

It was at that point of moving the suspect away from the polling unit that the thugs attacked the EFCC team, smashing the windshield of the Commission’s patrol van.

They only retreated into their hideouts after the Commission’s operatives responded by releasing warning shots, before members of the Joint Task Force team comprising the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police and others arrived the scene.

The incident was immediately reported at the Bwari Police Station.

Similarly, a team of EFCC operatives on election monitoring duty at Unit 001, Mann Primary School behind Chorobim junction in Imo State, was shot at by unknown persons in two black Prado SUVs and one white Hilux outside the polling unit, suspected to be buying votes.

The EFCC team responded, forcing them to flee the scene. The incident was formally reported to DCP Operations, Haruna Femi, at the Imo State Police Command.