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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Police in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) has denied the rumours making the rounds over the killing of a National Youth Service Corps member (NYSC), at Lugbe during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The police also denied the allegations that their personnel deployed to the polls engaged in the thumb-printing of ballot papers.
In a video that has gone viral on the social media, angry voters were seen beating the male corps member who tried to run for his life.
The corps member, who was a polling officer at Polling Unit 009, Lugbe Local Education Authority (LEA), was said to have been beaten to death by angry voters who accused him of conniving with police officers to thumbprint ballot papers.
FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, however, said the corps member is alive as he was shielded during the attack and taken to safety by the Divisional Police Officer and his men from the Lugbe Divisional Headquarters.
“The FCT Police Command wishes to set the records straight concerning a misinformation and disinformation on social media alleging that a Police Officer was caught with thumb printed ballot papers.
This is not the fact as the Officer was only assisting Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Staff to salvage electoral materials after they were attacked by electorates at the polling unit.
“The incident which occurred at Polling Unit 009, Lugbe Local Education Authority (LEA), began when the officials of the INEC arrived the Polling Unit with incomplete electoral materials which aggravated the electorates who resorted to attacking the officials and destroying the materials alleging an attempt at disenfranchisement.
“The Officers, in an attempt to prevent the officials from being mobbed and the materials destroyed, assisted in moving some of the items, to the annoyance of the electorates who poured their anger on the officers as well as the officials.
“It is equally pertinent to state that the Corp member, who was attacked in the video was shielded and taken to safety by the Divisional Police Officer and his men from the Lugbe Divisional Headquarters. He was not murdered as alleged in trending news.
“The FCT Command hereby warns all electorates to maintain decorum and desist from attacks on lawful authority while all grievances should be channeled through the proper process for resolution
