Police arrest Rivers lawmaker with $498,100

The Rivers State Police Command, yesterday, confirmed the arrest of a serving member of the House of Representatives, representing Port Harcourt II Federal Constituency, Chinyere Igwe, for alleged money laundering.

According to a statement signed by the Command’s Spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, the arrest was made in the late hours of Thursday, barely 24 hours before the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Iringe-Koko also explained that police officers deployed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in the state, arrested Igwe with $498,100 in a bag and a list for the distribution of the said money, during a stop-and search-exercise.

She said: “Police officers from Rivers State Police Command deployed to the INEC headquarters, Aba Road, on 24/2/2023 at about 02.45hrs, while on stop and search, arrested one Chinyere Igwe, a member House of Representatives, representing Port Harcourt II Federal Constituency, with a cash sum of $498,100 inside a bag in his car. Also recovered was a list for distribution of the money.”

Iringe-Koko further disclosed that the Assistant Inspector General of Police in-charge of election in the state, AIG Abutu Yaro, has ordered swift interrogation and arraignment in court, adding that the command had urged all contestants and political parties to comply strictly with provisions of the Electoral Act and other relevant laws.

Meanwhile, Igwe, a loyalist of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, together with all members of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) in the state, a few weeks ago had obtained a restraining order from a Federal High Court stopping the all security agencies, the Rivers State governor, state Attorney General from arresting them.

Meanwhile, there is a trending video on social media showing a man, suspected to be Igwe, in a dark room, responding to interrogation from a supposed police officer.

The person, who was putting on a white singlet, noted that hard foreign currencies found on him were for election services, but declined to state, who sent him.