Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
An aide to Benue State governor Samuel Ortom has dragged the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Emmanuel Jime, before the Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi over money laundering and vote-buying charges.
The suit was filed on Wednesday at the Federal High Court, Makurdi by Barr. Daniel Sorkaa, on behalf of his client, Mr Ati Terkula, a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, following an application of a writ of mandamus directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest and prosecute the governorship candidate and his personal driver over money laundering and electoral offences.
The EFCC had on March 9 apprehended one Joseph Mannaseh with freshly-minted money running into millions of Naira in a vehicle belonging to Mr Emmanuel Jime, allegedly for the purpose of vote buying and inducement of voters.
“During the conduct of the election, the 1st and 2nd respondents were apprehended by men of the 4th respondents with millions of Naira in bags inside the boot of a vehicle belonging to the 1st respondents and driven by the 2nd respondent which money was used to buy votes and induce voters against the interest of the applicant on the day of elections,” the petition read in part.
The application further claims that Jime and Mannaseh had committed criminal offences prohibited by the Money Laundering Act and Electoral Act, 2011 (as amended).
The case mandating the prosecution of Jime further accused the EFCC and INEC of neglecting their official duty by failing to prosecute the duo.