3 arrested for producing fake voter, National ID cards

Three employees of an information technology company in Ikorodu area of Lagos State have been arrested by the police for allegedly producing fake voter and national identity cards, as well as driver’s licence.

The suspects were identified as Odupolu Odugbemiga (33), Favour Nwaneke, (38) and Toheeb Lasisi, (25).

Fifty suspected fake voter’s cards and several national ID cards were recovered from the company where the suspects were arrested.

The police also seized some computer systems and other equipments allegedly used by the suspects to print the

fake cards.

It was gathered that the suspects would scan a voter’s card or National Identity card and remove the name of the original owner, while replacing it with a new name.

One of the suspects, Odugbemiga, admitted to have committed the crime of producing the fake voter’s card, but denied having anything to do with the fake National ID card.

The suspect said, “I graduated from the university in 2013. I joined the company last year to get myself busy and I earn a salary of N15,000 per month .

“I did pre-registration of National ID cards for people online. We collected N300 for the registration per person, but because I also did temporary voter’s cards, I was arrested.”

“The National Identity Commission requests government-recognised ID cards before people could be captured. We helped those who did not have the government-recognised ID cards to get the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) so that they could tender them and get captured,” the suspect said.

Another suspect, Nwaneke, denied taking part in the production of the fake cards, claiming that she only worked on ‘some packages.’

“I am a secondary school leaver. I joined the company sometime in December, 2016. I am not good at using the internet and do not know how to produce fake National ID cards or voter’s cards. I only know some computer packages for which the company employed me,” Nwaneke said.

Lasisi, who confessed to have worked on some voter’s cards, however, blamed the owner of the company for his involvement.

The suspect said, “I applied as a computer operator at the company, and was assigned to the works department to do typing, graphic designs and printing. Early this year, my boss ordered me to do voter’s cards for some customers.

“After some reluctance, I scanned the original voter cards, change names and photographs there and replace them with the customers’ names and photographs.”

The state police boss, Fatai Owoseni, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects to newsmen, said that three other producers of fake national identity cards had earlier been arrested in Ejigbo area of the state.

Owoseni said “five laptops, 28 forged National ID cards, printing and laminating machines, among others were recovered from them.”