Akwa Ibom Police Command says it has released on bail a staffer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state arrested over alleged illegal possession of card readers.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the Police Command, SP Odiko Macdon, who confirmed the development to newsmen in Uyo on Wednesday, however, remarked that police have commenced a discreet investigation to get to the bottom of the matter.
Mr. Ejike Nwankwo, a staffer of the INEC, Akwa Ibom State working in the ICT department was reported to have been arrested by some policemen during stop-and-search duty in Uyo.
Macdon said the police had written to the electoral body for more details on the four card readers in the custody of Nwankwo.
‘’Yes, there was an arrest by the men of the command and the said person is a member of INEC staff.
“He was found to be in possession of four card readers. We have written to the Commission demanding to know why he was in possession of the card readers.
“One, we know he is with the ICT department, after we had carried out a preliminary investigation. The Commissioner of Police has ordered us to carry out a more discreet investigation into the matter.
“INEC is in a better position to explain why he was in possession of the card readers. Our own is to apprehend offenders and prosecute them,’’ NAN quoted him as saying.
The spokesman said that the police routine stop-and-search on the suspect’s car on May 17 led to the discovery of the card readers.
The All Progressives Congress (APC), Akwa Ibom chapter had alleged that INEC worker was arrested with recalibrated card readers, and that the Resident Electoral Commissioner engaged card reader technicians to validate doctored general elections in Akwa Ibom.
However, Don Etukudoh, the Public Affairs Officer of INEC in the state, in a statement on Wednesday, noted “Again, the Akwa Ibom APC has come up with a scam to deceive the public, blackmail the Commission and score cheap political points and sympathy.
“The latest of their ploy is that a staff of the Commission was arrested with “recalibrated card readers” which suggest to them that Mike Igini is engaging Card Reader Technicians “to help him valid his doctored 2019 elections in Akwa Ibom State”.
According to him, “The Commission is aware of their devious scheme to sell their cheap narrative and would have ignored this latest effort but it needs to inform the general public.
“Mr. Ejike Nwankwo is a staff of the INEC, Akwa Ibom State and works in the ICT department who are the custodian of the Commission’s Card Readers,” he admitted.
The public relations boss recounted “He was stopped by the Police on a routine Stop-and-Search on Friday 17, May, 2019 at about 3 p.m. and four empty Smart Card Readers were found in his car trunk. He was not arrested on Sunday by 2 a.m. as mischievously alleged by the Akwa Ibom State APC.
“The four empty card readers were used for training of Ad-hoc Staff by the officer during the elections.
“The four Card Readers do not have data in them that could have influenced or affect the process or outcome of the elections.”
Etukudoh further explained “The officer took ill immediately after the 2019 General Elections and was hospitalised at St. Athanasius Hospital, Uyo. He battled for his health for about a month.
“Because of the illness, the officer could not return the Card Readers to the ICT department but left them in his car which was taken to the mechanic by his brother-in-law while the officer was in the hospital.
“In the hierarchy of reporting, the officer does not report directly to the Commissioner but to his Unit Head who reports to his Head of Department who then reports to the Commissioner.”
Continued him “The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini Esq, has been away from the State and country to South Africa and Malawi where he delivered lectures preparatory to those countries’ elections and could not have engaged anyone for any unwholesome purpose as alleged.”
Etukudoh reiterated “Nigerians may recall that when an INEC vehicle on a legitimate duty was involved in an accident at Abak, the Akwa Ibom State APC instead of sympathizing with the commission, went to town with a wild story that it was conveying ballot papers thumb printed in favour of APC on its way to being burnt at Uyo.
“Among many other instances of mischief against the Commission, the APC also alleged that they were denied access to inspect election materials as ordered by the Election Tribunal even when they were the one that rebuffed invitation to inspect same materials.”
“The Commission is aware of the Akwa Ibom State APC vile campaign of calumny against it. It will, however, not be detracted but remain committed to the furthering of democratic ideals and the conducts of free, fair and credible elections,” he added
