The Police Command of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) yesterday denied the alleged involvement of a police officer in the thumb-printing of ballot papers in Abuja.
A statement by the command’s spokesperson Josephine Adeh, a Superintendent of Police (SP), said the report of the officer’s involvement was fabricated as he was only assisting Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) workers to salvage electoral materials after they were attacked by some voters at the polling unit.
Adeh said: “The FCT Police Command wishes to set the records straight concerning a misinformation and disinformation on social media, alleging that a police officer was caught with thumb-printed ballot papers.
“This is not the fact as the officer was only assisting Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) workers to salvage electoral materials after they were attacked by the electorate at the polling unit.
“The incident, which occurred at Polling Unit 009, Lugbe Local Education Authority (LEA), began when the officials of the INEC arrived the polling unit with incomplete electoral materials which aggravated the electorate who resorted to attacking the officials and destroying the materials, alleging an attempt at disenfranchisement.
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“The officers, in an attempt to prevent the officials from being mobbed and the materials destroyed, assisted in moving some of the items, to the annoyance of the electorate who poured their anger on the officers as well as the (INEC) officials.
“It is equally pertinent to state that the (National Youth Service) corps member who was attacked in the video was shielded and taken to safety by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and his men from the Lugbe Divisional Headquarters. He was not murdered as alleged in trending news.”
The FCT police command warned voters to exhibit some decorum and desist from attacks on lawful authority.
It advised that all grievances be channeled through the proper process for resolution.