Rep. Igwe with the bundles of Dollars
Dr. Chinyere Igwe’s alleged distribution list for the Dollars found on him
A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Chinyere Igwe, has been arrested with several bundles of dollars along Ana Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, early Friday morning.
The police in confirming Igwe’s arrest by 2:45 am on Friday, put the total sum recovered from him as $498,100, approximately N381.1 million, along with a list of beneficiaries the monies are meant for.
The list included officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies.
The spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed in a statement that Hon. Igwe was nabbed during a stop and search operation by operatives deployed to the INEC office along Aba Road in Port Harcourt.
Following his arrest, SP Iringe-Koko said the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) deployed to the state for elections, AIG Abutu Yaro, has ordered swift interrogation and arraignment of the lawmaker.
Hon. Igwe, who represents Port Harcourt Federal Constituency 2 in the green chamber of the National Assembly, is acclaimed staunch supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The police statement reads: “Police Officers from Rivers State Command deployed to INEC Headquarters Aba Road today 24/2/2023 at about 0245hrs, while on stop and search, arrested one Hon. Chinyere Igwe, member House of Representatives representing Port Harcourt II Federal Constituency with a cash sum of $498,100 USD inside a bag in his car.
“Also recovered was a list for distribution of the money. The Assistant Inspector General of Police (Election) AIG Abutu Yaro, has ordered swift interrogation and arraignment in court.
“The Command urges all contestants and political parties to comply strictly with provisions of the Electoral Act and other relevant laws,” the statement said.
The lawmaker is currently, according to the police, being investigated for money laundering and attempt to buy voters ahead of the presidential and national assembly elections.
Iringe-Koko, urged residents of the state and members to take advantage of the hotlines made available by the police to report suspicious movements and situations capable of causing security breaches.
