Federal High Court in Lagos has remanded three officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the Ikoyi Prison.
The INEC officials were identified as Yemi Akinwonmi, Dickson Atiba and Ogunmodede Oladayo.
The remand order was issued on Monday by Justice Muslim Hassan shortly after the three officials, attached to Ogun State, were arraigned for allegedly laundering N179.8million meant for election.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that the defendants conspired among themselves and took possession of the N179.8million in March 2015, days before the general elections.
The anti-graft agency said they received the money from one Adeyinka Ayo-Aina when they “reasonably ought to have known that the money formed part of proceeds of fraud.”
The EFCC alleged that the first and second defendants, on or about April 7, 2015, made and accepted a cash payment of N69million, “which sum exceeded the amount authorised by law without going through a financial institution.
They thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended, and punishable under Section 16(2) of the same Act.”
It added that they handled the cash without going through any financial institution, contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.
The three defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the eight charges preferred against them.
The case is adjourned to August 6, 2018.