Nigerian Politician Ladi Adebutu Indicted for Vote-Buying and Money Laundering

Strategic Insights -

Ladi Adebutu, a top Nigerian politician and governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, has been indicted by the Nigeria Police Force for vote-buying and money laundering. The police alleged that Adebutu deployed two billion naira to induce voters across the state to vote for him and his party during the 18 March election.

Key Takeaways:

  • The police investigated a petition written to the Inspector-General of Police by the Ogun State chairperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Sanusi, which accused Adebutu of distributing ATM cards preloaded with N10, 000 to induce voters on election day.
  • The investigation team spoke with some POS operators who were arrested, officials of Verve the issuers of the credit cards, and Zenith Bank from which vaults the cash were to be drawn.
  • According to the interim report, Adebutu ordered 200,000 prepaid Verve ATM cards, each loaded with N10,000, summing up to N2 billion, from Zenith Bank.
  • The cards were specifically loaded two days to the gubernatorial elections, on 16 and 17 March 2023, and on the eve of the election, making it safe to infer that the purpose of the prepaid cards was for vote buying.
  • The report stated that numerous funds withdrawal transactions were carried out before, during, and after the 2023 gubernatorial election using the Dame Caroline Oladunni Adebutu Memorial Endowment Scheme prepaid cards.
  • The police report indicated that a prepaid card is not tied to any personal account, and a careful observation of the statements of account/transaction history of the POS operators revealed that a lot of funds withdrawals were done on 18th and 19th March, which had the description 'BANK CARD' as stated above.
  • Abdullahi Sanusi, the APC chairman, alleged that Mr Adebutu was using Verve ATM credit cards branded in the name of his late mother, 'Dame Caroline Oladunni Adebutu Endowment Scheme,' to buy votes in all polling booths.
  • Five suspects, including Adejoke Sanni, Hammed Ogunbona, Waliu Tiamiyu, Owolabi Egunsola, and Malik Badmus, were arrested with hundreds of the credit cards on the election day.

Statistics:

  • N2 billion was loaded into the prepaid Verve ATM cards.
  • 200,000 prepaid Verve ATM cards were issued to induce voters.
  • The cards were loaded with N10,000 each.
  • Funds withdrawal transactions were carried out before, during, and after the 2023 gubernatorial election using the Dame Caroline Oladunni Adebutu Memorial Endowment Scheme prepaid cards.
  • 131 credit cards were found in Adejoke Sanni's possession.
  • 52 credit cards and four voters cards were found in the possession of the other four suspects.

Sources:

  • "A top Nigerian politician, Ladi Adebutu, who said last week that he had fled Nigeria over threats to his life has been indicted by the Nigeria Police Force for money laundering and vote-buying during the last general elections, PREMIUM TIMES can exclusively report." (PREMIUM TIMES, [no date])
  • "The police said its officers and officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested five suspects with hundreds of the credit cards on the election day." (PREMIUM TIMES, [no date])
  • "According to the interim report, Celestina Appeal, the Head of Card Services at Zenith Bank, told investigators that Mr Adebutu, who had been a customer of the bank since 2009, approached the bank in February 2023 saying the Adebutu family planned 'to do an endowment scheme in the form of prepaid cards in commemoration of their late matriarch Dame Caroline Oladunni Adebutu.' " (PREMIUM TIMES, [no date])
  • "The amended Electoral Act 2022 stipulated penalties for vote-buying." (PREMIUM TIMES, [no date])