By Godfrey AKON
The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Police Command has denied reports by a widely circulated video alleging that a police officer was caught with thumb printed ballot papers in Abuja.
FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, in a statement on Sunday, said police officers were rather preventing INEC officials from being mobbed.
The police described allegations raised in the video as misinformation and disinformation on social media.
“This is not the fact as the Officer was only assisting Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Staff to salvage electoral materials after they were attacked by electorates 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 electorates who resorted to attacking the officials and destroying the materials alleging an attempt at disenfranchisement.
“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 electorates who poured their anger on the officers as well as the officials,” the statement said.
The command also stated that the corp member who was attacked in the video was shielded and taken to safety by the Divisional Police Officer and his men from the Lugbe Divisional Headquarters, adding that he was not murdered as alleged in trending news.
The statement warned all electorates to maintain decorum and desist from attacks on lawful authority, urging that all grievances should be channeled through the proper process for resolution.
