EFCC arrests 20 over electoral fraud in FCT council polls, recovers over N17m

Operatives of the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee have arrested 20 suspects for alleged electoral offences throughout the just-concluded Federal Capital Territory native authorities elections.

The fee additionally recovered over N17 million allegedly meant for vote shopping for.

A press release posted on the fee’s official X deal with on Sunday famous that the arrests have been made on Saturday, February 21, 2026, throughout the FCT.

Based on the EFCC, the suspects have been apprehended in Abaji (2), Gwagwalada (9), Kuje (4) and Kwali (4).

“Operatives of the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee, EFCC, on Saturday, February 21, 2026, arrested 20 suspects for sundry electoral offences within the just-concluded Federal Capital Territory, FCT, native authorities elections.

“The suspects have been arrested throughout the FCT, for offences starting from vote shopping for, vote promoting to obstruction of officers to the tune of N17,218,700.00k (Seventeen Million, Two Hundred and Eighteen Thousand, Seven Hundred Naira solely).

“One of many suspects was arrested with a sum of N13,500,000 (13 Million, 5 Hundred Thousand Naira) in a automobile parked beside a polling sales space within the Kwali Native Authorities Space.

“Two of the suspects have been arrested in Abaji; 9 in Gwagwalada; 4 in Kuje, and the remaining 4 in Kwali,” the assertion learn.

The fee acknowledged that the suspects could be charged to courtroom upon conclusion of investigations.

The February 21 elections, held throughout the six FCT space councils, Abaji, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Kwali and Abuja Municipal Space Council (AMAC), noticed stories of inducements.

Election observers, together with these from the Centre for Democracy and Improvement (CDD-West Africa), documented cases of economic provides starting from ₦1,000 to ₦5,000 per voter in a number of polling models, significantly in Gwagwalada and Kuje.

Outcomes from the polls, declared by INEC on Sunday, confirmed the All Progressives Congress securing victory in 5 of the six chairmanship positions, with the Peoples Democratic Party successful one.