Fake INEC officials arrested while recruiting ad hoc staff in Lagos

In a desperate move to rig the 2019 General Elections, a yet to be ascertained group has concluded plans of how to recruit ad hoc staff into the Independent Electoral Commission  (INEC).Three members of the gang were arrested yesterday at Yaba while trying to recruit unsuspecting members of the public as fake INEC Ad-hoc staff.

The police identified those arrested as Kaiyewu Folahan, Akintunde Ibukun and Azeez Kazeem. Items recovered from the syndicate, according to the police are, laptop, 511 INEC Lagos Ad-hoc Recruitment Forms, already filled with passport photographs attached. 

Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Chike Oti who confirmed the arrest said that following a complaint from the Deputy Director of INEC, Shomolu LGA, Mrs Akinwunmi S.O., on January 22, 2019, that some persons at Shop No.33, Aluta Plaza, Federal College of Education, Akoka, were impersonating INEC workers and recruiting ad-hoc staff.

Oti said upon receipt of the complaint, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Edgal Imohimi, directed the Divisional Police Officer  (DPO), Pedro Police Station to infiltrate the camp of the culprits with his undercover operatives. He said that the operatives did as directed, leading to the arrest of the suspects, namely: Kaiyewu Folahan, Akintunde Ibukun and Azeez Kazeem. 

“Exhibits recovered from them included a laptop, 511 INEC Lagos Ad-hoc Recruitment Forms, already filled with passport photographs attached” he added.Ori said that based on the directive of the Lagos Police boss, the suspects were arraigned yesterday at the Chief Magistrate’s Court 2, Yaba, for conspiracy, impersonation, forgery, fraudulent act and unlawful possession of INEC materials. 

He said the three persons were remanded in prison pending when they would meet their bail conditions. The case was adjourned till April 16, 2019.