The police high command has said officials in viral video allegedly arrested for being in possession of BVAs machine and other materials are not suspects but staff of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).
Spokesman of the high command, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi made the disclosure in a statement made available to The Guardian.
According to him, “The Nigeria Police Force wishes to debunk, in strong terms, the trending news in the media confirming the arrest of some individuals in Maitama, Abuja, with electoral materials and some Bi-Modal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) machines, by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.
“Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB), acting on a tip from residents of an area in Maitama who reported suspicious activities, visited the location, interviewed the occupants, and conducted a search on the house. In the course of the search, some electoral materials and BVAS machines were discovered in their possession.
“However, the Independent National Electoral Commission, when contacted, confirmed that the occupants of the house are staff of Emperor Technology, outsourcing engineering services to the INEC, and they were immediately released to go about their lawful business.
“The Force, while urging well-meaning members of the public to discountenance the false and misconstrued narrative being spread by some sections of the media about the arrest of these individuals and their link with BVAS manipulation, charged reporters and media houses to endeavor to do due diligence and ascertain the veracity of the information on the public space before spreading such to avoid being victims of the “breaking news syndrome”.
“Furthermore, the Nigeria Police urges all and sundry to avoid the creation and spread of misinformation and disinformation which is capable of causing disaffection between the populace and state actors more so as we are at a critical and sensitive moment in our democracy.”