Security operatives in Kaduna State have arrested a man, identified as Shehu Aliyu-Patangi, on allegations of attempting to buy votes with cash ahead of Saturday’s by-elections.
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The spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Saturday, disclosing that the operation was carried out in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) and other sister agencies.
According to Hassan, Aliyu-Patangi was arrested around 3:30 a.m. at a popular hotel along Turunku Road in Kaduna metropolis, where operatives recovered ₦25.96 million in cash allegedly earmarked for voter inducement.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect intended to use the money to bribe eligible voters. On interrogation, he confessed to the act and pleaded for leniency,” the police spokesman said.
The Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Rabiu, commended the synergy among security agencies and warned that anyone caught attempting to compromise the polls would face the full weight of the law. He assured residents of adequate security before, during, and after the elections.
However, conflicting reports have emerged about the suspect’s political affiliation. The Nation newspaper reported that the man, identified as Shehu Fantagi, was allegedly working as an agent of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with about ₦30 million meant for vote-buying in the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency election.
According to the report, Fantagi was picked up on Friday evening at a Kaduna hotel, where he was allegedly coordinating the distribution of funds to influence voters. Security sources reportedly confirmed that he was in possession of “tens of millions of naira” intended to compromise the integrity of the polls.
Similarly, the ADC Vanguard, in a post on X, claimed that security agencies had also arrested leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with huge sums of cash suspected to be set aside for vote buying in the same constituency.
The conflicting accounts have further stirred debate over the credibility of political actors ahead of the by-elections.
Meanwhile, security operatives have maintained that investigations are ongoing and that the public will be duly informed of verified findings.
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