A Political Group In Ilorin , The Kwara State State capital known as Save Kwara Group has accused the Kwara state Government of bribing a policeman directly from the state Treasury just days before the General Elections, Leaders reports.
Governor Abdulraman Abdulraman Abdulrazak has started a last-minute payment to Police Officers in Kwara state, a move that appears illegal, as the Federal Police are statutorily paid by the Federal Government the group spokesman Kassim Ishola said
This is a clear violation of section 127 of the electoral Act. The reasons are these;
So long as it can be established that the Govt does not in the ordinary course of running the state pay money directly into the account of the personnel of the police (because the state does not run the police).
The other is, the impropriety in the payment can be positively established by the fact that the Govt does not pay police salaries and is not in the business of deploying police.
The governor is a candidate here and this expenditure cannot but be seen to relate to and point at unduly influencing them to act in cohort with them for his own benefit.
Governor Abdulrazak’s payment to police officers on the eve of the Presidential election has been seen by political watchers in the state as a discreet bribe to buy the Loyalty of the same Police Force that has been ignored in the state as they have lacked equipment, uniform, and ammunition.
In Several screenshots obtained, a sum of 10,000 has been paid with the reference “Red cross project” into the accounts of the Policemen in the state, with more money going to officers higher up, it remains to be seen if this is in contravention of the Electoral act and the money laundering laws in Nigeria. According to multiple sources in the Police, the alert was unexpected and the surprising part is the source designation: “Kwara State Government Suregate”, many were bewildered that the state itself decided to pay from the official treasury.
In the middle of a cash crunch that has led to protests and riots, Nigerians will go to the polls to elect the next President on Saturday, and many have complained that while the cash crunch may have been planned to curb vote buying, it could actually exacerbate the issue as most people are in need of cash and others believe scrupulous politicians may resort to mass credit alerts like the one in Kwara state.
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