3 arrested for producing fake voters’ card, national ID

THREE employees of an information Technology company in Ikorodu area of Lagos State have been arrested by the police in the state for allegedly producing fake voter’s cards, national identity cards and driving license.

The suspect were identified as 33 years old undergraduate, Odupolu Odugbemiga, 38 years old Favour Nwaneke and 25 years old Toheeb Lasisi.

Fifty suspected fake voter’s cards and several national ID card were recovered from Sharma Glory International Limited, where the suspects were arrested.

The police also seized some computer systems and other equipment allegedly used by the suspects to print the fake cards.

It was gathered that suspects would scan a voter’s card or national identity card and remove the name of the original owner and also replacing it with a new name.

The suspect said “I graduated from the university in 2013. I joined the company last year to get myself busy and I am paid N15,000 per month.”

He added that “I do pre-registration of National ID cards for people online. We collected N300 for the registration per person. But because I also do temporary voter cards, I was arrested.”

“The National Identity Commission requests government recognised ID cards before people can be captured. We help those that do not have government recognised ID cards to get PVCs so that they can tender them and get captured, “the suspect claimed.

Another suspect, Nwaneke, denied taking part in the production of the fake cards and claimed 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 voters’ cards. I only know some computer packages for which the company employed me,” Nwaneke said.

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

The suspect said: “I applied as a computer operator at Sharma Glory International Limited and was assigned to works department to do typing, graphic designs and printing. Early this year, my boss ordered me to do voters’cards for some customers.”

He added that “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, Gatai Owoseni, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects to newsmen, said that three other had earlier been arrested in the Ejigbo area of the state.

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

He also added that “They invite unsuspecting Nigerians on social media, telling them they work for National Identity Card Commission.”