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Christopher Oji
Three fake Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials who were nabbed for recruiting ad hoc staff for the electoral body were arraigned yesterday at the Chief Magistrate’s Court 2, Yaba, Lagos.
The suspects were arrested by the Lagos State Police Command in Yaba while trying to recruit unsuspecting members of the public as ‘INEC ad hoc staff.’
The police said the suspects, Folahan, Ibukun and Kazeem, are helping operatives with information on the political party that contracted them with the intention of rigging the forthcoming elections. Items recovered from the syndicate, according to the police, were, laptop and 511 INEC Lagos ad hoc recruitment forms with passport photographs attached.
Lagos State police public relations officer (PPRO), Chike Oti, who confirmed the arrests, said, following a complaint from the deputy director of INEC, Shomolu Local Government Area, Mrs. S.O. Akinwunmi, on January 22, 2019, that some persons at Shop 33, Aluta Plaza, Federal College of Education, Akoka, were impersonating INEC workers and recruiting ad hoc staff, the state commissioner of police, Imohimi Edgal, directed the Divisional Police Officer, Pedro Police Station, to infiltrate the camp of the culprits with undercover operatives.
He said that the operatives did as directed, which led to the arrest of the suspects
“Exhibits recovered from them included a laptop, and 511 INEC Lagos ad hoc recruitment forms already filled with passport photographs attached,” he said.
Oti stated that, based on the directive of the Lagos police boss, the suspects were arraigned yesterday at Chief Magistrate’s Court 2, Yaba, for conspiracy, impersonation, forgery, fraudulent act and unlawful possession of INEC materials.
He said the three persons were remanded in prison pending when they meet their bail conditions.
The case was adjourned till April 16, 2019.
