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EFCC Arrests 20 Over Alleged N17.2m Vote-Buying Scandal In FCT Council Polls
A breakdown of the arrests shows that two suspects were apprehended in Abaji, nine in Gwagwalada, four in Kuje, and another four in Kwali Area Council.
Abuja, Nigeria– The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 20 suspects for alleged electoral fraud during the just-concluded Federal Capital Territory (FCT) local government elections held on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
According to the anti-graft agency, the suspects were apprehended across various area councils in the FCT for offences ranging from vote buying and vote selling to obstruction of electoral officials.
The arrests followed intelligence reports and on-the-spot surveillance by EFCC operatives deployed to monitor the polls.
The Commission disclosed that a total sum of N17,218,700 (Seventeen Million, Two Hundred and Eighteen Thousand, Seven Hundred Naira) was recovered from the suspects during the coordinated operation.
In a major breakthrough, one of the suspects was arrested in Kwali Area Council with N13,500,000 (Thirteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) allegedly stashed inside a vehicle parked beside a polling unit. The suspect is believed to have been distributing cash to induce voters before his arrest.
A breakdown of the arrests shows that two suspects were apprehended in Abaji, nine in Gwagwalada, four in Kuje, and another four in Kwali Area Council.
The Commission revealed that the operation forms part of the EFCC’s broader mandate to curb financial crimes and safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.
The agency had earlier warned political actors and voters against engaging in vote trading, stressing that electoral malpractice undermines democracy and good governance.
The EFCC stated that investigations are ongoing and that the suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of preliminary inquiries.
