According to data released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ebonyi State had the greatest number of electoral offenders arrested in the general elections of 2023.

 

A document that the Chief Press Secretary gave to INEC Chairman Rotimi Oyekanmi, The PUNCH, claims that 1,076 electoral offenders were detained in 35 states during the general elections that were held in February and March of 2023.

According to the state-by-state breakdown of offenders, Ebonyi state has the most instances (191) out of all the states designated for prosecution, followed by Edo and Anambra.

 

“With an unprecedented partnership between the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Nigerian Bar Association, everything is now set for the prosecution of 1,076 electoral offenders arrested in 35 states throughout the nation during the 2023 general election held in February and March,” stated Oyekanmi. The synergy also involves the Nigeria Police.

 

On the other hand, 191 case files are ready. Ebonyi has the most cases—64 total, with 216 suspects—when the distribution is broken down by state. Anambra is in third place with 12 cases involving 66 suspects, while Edo State is in second place with 22 cases and 80 suspects.

 

Similarly, Kano, Rivers, and Osun states tie for fifth place with nine instances apiece, including 74, 68, and 47 suspects; Kaduna is fourth with 11 cases and 36 suspects; Adamawa is fifth with 10 cases and 17 suspects. Yobe State comes in last on the table with just one case file involving two individuals.

 

“Culpable homicide and unlawful possession of firearms, snatching and destroying of INEC items, being in possession of offensive weapons, misconduct at the polling unit and stealing of election results, among several others,” according to the CPS, are only a few of the electoral offenses committed.

 

Additionally, Oyekanmi disclosed that the commission plans to mobilize 191 prosecutors to handle the prosecution of the electoral offenders.

 

“The President of the NBA and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau, had, during a recent courtesy visit of the association’s delegation to the Commission, pledged that NBA members would provide legal services pro bono for the prosecution of electoral offenders as a service to the fatherland.

 

“In fulfilment of that pledge, Maikyau, in a recent letter to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, listed 191 lawyers, including 16 Senior Advocates of Nigeria that have accepted to take up cases in the various states free of charge, with the assistance of the police and INEC for diligent prosecution. The suspects linked to the case files are in custody, they have been investigated and the necessary evidence against them harvested.

 

“It is confirmed that letters of authority have already been prepared and will be issued to the NBA team as soon as possible to commence proceedings on all the cases.”

 

However, Oyekanmi clarified that the Nigerian Bar Association returned 26 case files to INEC.

 

He explained that these files were to be forwarded to the police as the offenses identified did not align with the electoral offenses defined by the Electoral Act of 2022.

 

“Besides, the suspects involved in 22 out of the cases are either at large or were never apprehended,” Oyekanmi added