The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has denied reports on the arrest of some persons in Abuja over the illegal possession of electoral materials and some Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines by its officers.
A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi on Wednesday, confirmed that operatives of the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) had acted on a tip from residents of an area in Maitama who reported suspicious activities.
Adejobi said the police visited the location, interviewed the occupants, and conducted a search on the house, adding that in the course of the search, some electoral materials and BVAS machines were discovered in their possession.
“However, the Independent National Electoral Commission, when contacted, confirmed that the occupants of the house are staff of Emperor Technology, outsourcing engineering services to the INEC, and they were immediately released to go about their lawful business,” the statement read.
The police urged members of the public to disregard the news of the purported arrest of these individuals and their link with BVAS manipulation.
Adejobi urged the media to always verify stories and ascertain the veracity of the information on the public space before publishing.
The statement added, “Furthermore, the Nigeria Police urges all and sundry to avoid the creation and spread of misinformation and disinformation which is capable of causing disaffection between the populace and state actors more so as we are at a critical and sensitive moment in our democracy.”