VOTERS REGISTRATION: 10 ARRESTED IN LAGOS, DELTA

No fewer than six persons were arrested in Lagos, at the weekend in connection with missing Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines, laptops and printing machines.

In another development, four persons including some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were also arrested by the Police in Delta State. According to the commission, those arrested were from Ndokwa East , Sapele , Burutu and Warri South Local Government Areas of the state.

They were said to have been arrested for various offences ranging from registration of minors, missing Direct Data Capturing (DDC) machines, illegal registration to damaging DDC machines in contravention of the 2010 Electoral Act

The six suspects were arrested by policemen attached to Ajegunle Police Station.The suspects claimed that they submitted the machines and documents in their possession after the day's job and also signed out. They told crime fighters that they were astonished when they got to the INEC temporary store to collect the said machines but found out they had developed wings.

When Daily Sun visited the police station the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), CSP Chris Aimionowane told Daily Sun he was not an INEC official, therefore could not comment on any matters concerning INEC.

Chairman of Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government Area, Mr Kamal Bayewu, denied that the missing DDC machines got missing in his domain. He alleged that the machines got missing in Gaskiya area in Ijora.

In a related development, a laptop was alleged to have disappeared from the store at Kosofe Local Government Area, in Lagos..

Daily Sun gathered that a youth corps member returned the laptop and signed off. When he returned to take the laptop the next day, it had vanished. The INEC Supervisor (name withheld) claimed that one of the corps members must have left with two laptops. Attempts by policemen from Anthony Village Division to arrest the Supervisor was frustrated by his superior who claimed that the laptops would be replaced for the national assignment.

According to statement signed by the Delta State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Ogbudu Gabriel Ada and made available to Daily Sun, the above mentioned cases are being prosecuted by the commission in various courts in the state. Daily Sun also gathered that some youths were also ferried from Ogwashi Uku to a registration centre located in a primary school at Onicha Olona (some kilometers away from Ogwahiuku) in Aniocha South local government Area of the State for multiple registration. An act that led to the arrest of one of the actors by the Police.

When contacted, the Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state , Mr. Charles Muka, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), told Daily Sun : 'I have just been briefed on the matter . We discovered that the suspect has no case to answer so we left him off the hook.'