FG fails to arraign 2 INEC staff for electoral fraud

The federal government through the office of the attorney-general of the federation on Monday failed to arraign two officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for their alleged involvement in electoral fraud during the February 23, 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The officials, Sulaiman Ikhuoriah and Olugbenga Omotiloye were scheduled to be arraigned before Justice Yusuf Halilu of an FCT High Court in Maitama.

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The attorney general of the federation charged the suspects with falsifying results in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidates against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates in the elections held in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo state. 

Ikhuoriah was said to have served as the collation officer for Ward 6 in Saint Maria Gorreti Secondary School, while Omotiloye was an electoral officer at Bishop Kelly, beside St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Airport Road, Benin City. 

The alleged infractions of the two INEC officials were investigated by the Edo state office of the Department of State Services (DSS). The two men were initially billed for arraignment before the court March 10, but the court did not sit on the said day. 

At the resumed hearing, both defendants were absent in court, prompting the judge to ask the counsel from the office of the attorney general of the federation of their whereabouts. 

The prosecution told the court that the DSS had yet to bring the two defendants to Abuja from Edo state, adding that the attorney-general of the federation’s office communicated through letters with the DSS to bring the defendants to Abuja, expressing surprise that the service was yet to comply. 

They therefore, asked for a date in April for the prosecution to bring the two defendants before the court for arraignment. 

Justice Halilu however, frowned at the inability of the prosecution to bring the defendants to court. According to him, the court is not a warehouse where the prosecution would only come and file the case against the defendants and subsequently, do nothing about it. 

He then told the prosecuting counsel that he would not give the prosecution any date, saying however, that “if you bring them (from Edo state) today, bring them tomorrow to court for arraignment.”