N23bn Diezani bribe: INEC sets up panel on EFCC report

The Independent National Electoral Commission has constituted a panel that will review cases of its 100 personnel, who were indicted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in connection with alleged atrocities committed in the 2015 general elections .
The affected personnel were indicted by the EFCC , whose operatives investigated them for allegedly receiving part of the N23 bn bribe, which was said to have been facilitated by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison - Madueke , ahead of the 2015 elections .
The PUNCH had exclusively reported on Wednesday that INEC had received the report of the EFCC probe .
According to The PUNCH report , the electoral body assured that those found to have received the bribe would be suspended in accordance with the provisions of the INEC ’ s conditions of service .
Investigations on Friday revealed that the Chairman of INEC , Prof . Mahmood Yakubu , who received the EFCC ’ s report , immediately commenced work on it by setting up an internal panel to review the cases of all the personnel involved for appropriate disciplinary action .
It was learnt that the panel was headed by a national commissioner, whose identity was not revealed , to examine the cases of all those listed for sanction in the EFCC ’ s report .
A top official of the commission told our correspondent that the panel started sitting on the report on Tuesday .
The source said , “ The EFCC just submitted the report on the indicted personnel to the commission last week .
“ I don ’ t think the details of that report are available now but what I can tell you is that the commission is working on the report .
“ Already, the chairman has constituted a high - powered committee to commence immediate work on the report submitted by the EFCC .
“ The panel, led by one of the national commissioners , started sitting on the report on Tuesday . ”
When our correspondent contacted the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC , Mr . Rotimi Oyekanmi , he said he did not have authorisation to comment on the matter .
Similarly , the Deputy Director in Charge of Voter Education and Publicity , Mr . Nick Dazang , simply said ‘ no comment’ , when he was contacted to speak on the issue on Thursday .
The PUNCH had reported on Wednesday that INEC had taken a decision to subject the over 100 indicted officials to the conditions of service of the commission by ensuring that they are placed on suspension .
Sunday PUNCH had, on December 10 , 2016 , reported that the EFCC report contained the outcome of investigations in five geopolitical zones .
According to the Sunday PUNCH report , among those affected was a former Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State during the 2015 elections , Gesila Khan .
Two houses and two plazas were said to have been recovered from Khan, while her accounts had been frozen.
Khan allegedly received N185 . 8 m ahead of the March 28 and April 11 , 2015 elections .
The EFCC had also arrested one Fidelia Omoile , who was the INEC electoral officer in Isoko South Local Government Area in Delta State during the elections .