The Nigeria Police Force has refuted the widely circulated information that claimed its officers had arrested some people in Maitama, Abuja, in possession of voting equipment and some Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines.
The Force charged reporters and media outlets to make an effort to do their due diligence and ascertain the veracity of the information in the public space before spreading such to avoid being victims of the “breaking news syndrome,” 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.
Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the NPF’s spokesperson, made this known in a statement on Wednesday.
Adejobi said, “Operatives of the Force Intelligence Bureau, 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.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission, when contacted, confirmed that the occupants of the house are staff of Emperor Technology, outsourcing engineering services to INEC, and they were immediately released to go about their lawful business.”
Furthermore, the police urged 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 the nation is at a critical and sensitive moment in its democracy.
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