Jega: INEC official for trial over voters register fraud

HOW did some sensitive materials for next month’s elections in Oyo State get into wrong hands?

This is the subject of a probe by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the arrest of some suspects in Ibadan. They were said to be tampering with the voters register in 27 local governments. The suspects were reportedly sponsored by Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, who denied it all and dismissed it as propaganda by the opposition.

Among the suspects is an INEC official, Osunlola Akinyinka, head of the Information Technology Unit, who lost his job yeaterday. A new man was appointed.

Akinyinka may face trial, if found to have erred, INEC chair Prof. Attahiru Jega said yesterday.

It was also learnt that Jega  directed all Resident Electoral Commissioners to protect voters registers in their custody.

The original voters register for Oyo State is still intact at the INEC’s headquarters in Abuja, it was learnt.

Jega spoke on the matter yesterday in Abuja. He told some civil society organisations that INEC strongly believes that staff who exhibit inclinations towards subverting its aspirations for probity deserve to be prosecuted. He said the Head of INEC’s ICT Unit in Ibadan, who was caught in a hotel with four others along with six Direct Data Capture machines was acted without the knowledge or consent of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Oyo State.   

Jega said: “What has happened in Ibadan is very, very unfortunate. The head of the ICT unit in Ibadan was caught in a hotel room with four other people who are not INEC officials with six DDC machines.

“Obviously, they have been arrested; investigation is going on in trying to determine whether he was acting alone or whether he had partners who are his collaborators within INEC or outside.

“He left people in the office who were still working overnight, producing the voter register to say he was going home around 8pm and, evidently, he left and went to the hotel to perpetrate whatever crime he was caught perpetrating.

“So, I think as I speak with you now, the picture is not complete; but the good thing is that you were trying to do something wrong and you were caught. We are doing our best now to investigate and determine the extent to which damage has been done with our data in Ibadan.

“Obviously, we are committed to prosecuting any person who has committed any offence and this is a very grievous offence. We have taken decisions; we have already sent somebody to take over as the head of ICT in Ibadan so that all these investigations can be done and the work also as we prepare for elections can continue.

“It is very unfortunate. I have said it before that there is no overemphasising the fact that wherever you have thousands of people in an organisation, there are bound to be those who are reckless, who are fraudulent and who, in spite of whatever else you do, they are still criminally minded and determined to perpetrate crimes.

“The challenge for every organisation is to have the capacity to apprehend such offenders in order to penalise them in accordance with the law. It’s a very unfortunate thing that has happened.” 

Jega said since all data had been forwarded to the headquarters, it is easy to verify if any had been tempered with.

Five employees of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Oyo State were yesterday quizzed by the Police in connection with the voters registration manipulations.

It was gathered last night that the five officials were invited by the police after the INEC official arrested on Saturday gave information suggesting that more officials of the commission were involved in the illegal act.

They were quizzed in the afternoon at the SCID Iyaganku and released immediately.

It was also learnt that the arrested INEC official  was brought to the Agodi headquarters of the commission in handcuff. His office was thoroughly searched by the police before he was taken back.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Adisa Bolanta, confirmed the incident last night. He said investigations would continue, adding that no one found to have committed any illegal act would go scot-free.

A report suggested that the REC, Mr Ayo Adakeja, was summoned to the national headquarters of the commission by Jega. But the Public Relations Officer of the commission in Oyo State, Mr Ayodele Folami, denied this.

According to source, a committee in the commission has been inaugurated to look into how Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines were smuggled out of INEC’s office in Oyo State and taken into a hotel in Ibadan.

A source in the commission, who pleaded not to be named, yesterday said: “We have started probing the theft of these DDC machines and we may engage security agencies to get to the root of the falsification.

“We are yet to ascertain whether the suspect had worked under instruction or in collusion with some people. Also, it is too early to jump into conclusion whether the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ayo Adakeja, was involved or not.

“We want to appeal for understanding as INEC chairman and his National Commissioners are on top of the situation

“The good thing however is that the tampering will not have affect. The original register of Oyo State is in our custody. We want to assure the people of Oyo State that there is no cause for the alarm.

 “Already, a new Head of ICT has been appointed for the INEC office in Oyo State to go and put things right.”

Responding to a question, the source added that all Resident Electoral Commissioners have been directed to protect registers in their custody.

“This latest dimension is an eye opener that we have to be extremely vigilant as the elections approach,” he said.

The Chief Press Secretary to Prof. Attahiru Jega, the INEC chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said: “Investigation has commenced and INEC has taken all measures to make sure that what ever has been done will not infringe on the authentic voters register.”