Edo: Unknown man disappears with card reader

NSCDC deploys 10,000 personnel for election

EXACTLY one week to the conduct of the governorship election in Edo State, one of the smart card readers that will be used for the accreditation of voters has been reportedly stolen by an unknown man in Igarra, Akoko-Edo Local Government area of the state.

The yet-to-be-identified man was said to have on Monday disguised as a corps member and gained access to a venue where the ad hoc staff who will be involved in the September 10 election were being trained.

Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo State, Mr Sam Olumekun, confirmed the theft through the administrative secretary, Oscar-Less Amaechi.

Olumekun, however, clarified that the smart card reader had not been configured for the governorship election.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission has observed the ploy to tarnish the good image of the good people of Akoko-Edo LGA, especially the inhabitants of Igarra.

“It is a challenge for the people of Akoko-Edo to fish out the impostor who, during the training of presiding officers and Assistant Presiding Officers, made away with the training smart? card reader, which has not been configured for election,” Olumekun said.

Olumekun, who noted that the matter had been reported to relevant security agencies to apprehend the suspect and likely collaborators, warned that efforts to disrupt the electoral process and credibility of the election would not be tolerated.

The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu, has directed the immediate deployment of  10,000 personnel for the Edo gubernatorial poll that will be held on September 10, 2016.

The CG has charged the Acting Deputy Commandant General Operations, Hillary Kelechi Madu, to relocate his office to Edo State for the purpose of the election in order to guarantee free and fair election without violence, rancour and geramandeering.

The Acting DCG is to be assisted by two Assistant Commandant Generals in Charge Zone G Benin and Zone E Owerri with five Commandants drawn from the neighbouring states, while the personnel are to be re-deployed from Kogi, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa and Anambra state commands to complement the deployment of personnel from Edo State Command.

Gana advised the personnel to work in synergy with other sister security agencies in order to ensure peaceful conduct of election without rancour and any personnel caught or found involving in any act of misconduct will be dealt with in accordance to the law and ethics of the service.