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Electoral malpractice: 3 varsity dons indicted, 3 INEC officials sacked in A’Ibom

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Mr Mike Igini, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom, on Tuesday said that three university lecturers had been confirmed to have been involved in electoral malpractice during the 2019 general elections.
Igini, who addressed newsmen at the INEC office in Uyo, said that three officials of the electoral body had also been sacked over alleged involvement in electoral malpractices.
According to him, the three university teachers will soon be charged to court.
Igini, however, did not mention the names of the institutions and the areas where the malpractice took place.
“The lecturers, who were engaged as Collation and Returning Officers during the 2019 general elections, were reported to have manipulated and falsified election results.
“As I speak to you, not less than three of the staff of the commission from the ICT Unit and those in the rank of executive and administrative officers were also involved in actions that completely undermined the electoral process and integrity of the commission,” he said.
He said that the suspects compromised their positions and produced outcomes contrary to the will of the people, as expressed through the ballot.
“A panel we set up subsequently established a prima facie documentary evidence of deliberate criminal manipulation of election results against the Collation/Returning Officers,” Igini said.
He said that the involvement of the three INEC staff from the ICT unit had been proved beyond reasonable doubt.
“This action has become absolutely necessary because of the unsustainable belief by some members of the public that the commission does not sanction persons involved in electoral malpractices during elections.
“We must have an institution that has integrity to protect the will of the people in any election.
“Punishing those involved in unwholesome electoral activities will serve as a lesson and a clear message to those who will be engaged by INEC in future.
“It is good for them to know that INEC in Akwa Ibom will always be transparent. People engaged as presiding officers are a very important link. They are the last set of people in charge of election materials, particularly the ballot papers and result sheets,” the REC said.
He regretted that in spite of the training given to the electoral officers and staff of the commission, they went a different way and chose to involve themselves in unethical conduct.
Igini lamented that the officials manipulated and falsified election results, thereby producing outcomes that were contrary to the will of the people.
“Following a formal request by the Commission, the authorities of the affected institutions released the lecturers to appear before an investigative panel set up by INEC Headquarters on Aug. 12 and 26, 2020,” he revealed.
Igini noted that the INEC workers sacked were shown the way out “in line with the extant rules and the power of the commission to appoint, dismiss and to exercise disciplinary control over its staff”. (NAN)
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Kwara: Security Team Kills Two Bandits, Rescues Two Kidnap Victims

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Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

A security team, comprising operatives of DSS and forest guards, has rescued two victims of abduction in a forest between Oba Isin/Owa Onire area of isin and Ifelodun Local Government Areas of Kwara State.

The rescued victims are 16-year-old Fatima Azeez and Ibrahim Azeez who is five-year old.

The team also eliminated two armed bandits, while others escaped with severe injuries as the security forces stormed their hideouts, according to a report by DSS and local authorities.

The security team also recovered several items from the kidnappers, including one Ak-47 rifle; one single barrel; one fully loaded magazine with nine empty; mini-solar panel; and food items.

The rescue operation is connected to the multi-agency counterterrorism and anti-kidnapping efforts of the government.

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Kwara: Police Launch Investigations Into Killing Of Farmer On Farmland

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Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Kwara State Police Command has commenced full-scale investigations into the killing of a farmer, Mr Azeez Garba, whose body was discovered on his farmland along the Owa-Onire axis, the boundary between Isanlu-Isin and Owu-Isin in Isin Local Government Area of the State.

The Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, described the murder as “cruel, senseless and unacceptable,” and directed the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to intensify efforts to identify and arrest those behind the attack.

According to the police, preliminary investigations showed that the deceased left home for his farm in the morning but did not return, prompting his family members and local vigilantes to organise a search.

The search party reportedly found his motorcycle parked on the farmland before discovering his lifeless body a short distance away. Police said the victim had sustained deep machete cuts.

Reacting to the incident, CP Adekimi ordered investigators to deploy all available intelligence and investigative resources to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing.

“The killing is cruel, senseless and unacceptable,” the commissioner of Police said, assuring residents that the command would leave no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Although no suspect had been arrested as of Monday, the command said all available leads were being diligently pursued.

The police also assured the bereaved family, the people of Isin Local Government Area and the general public that investigators were working tirelessly to track down everyone connected with the crime.

“The Kwara State Police Command remains unwavering in its commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state and will not relent until every person responsible for this reprehensible act is brought before the law,” the statement added.

The statement was signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police.

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Kwara: Joint Security Team Arrests Alleged Cultist, Recovers Firearm

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Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

A coordinated security operation involving the Kwara State Police Command, other security agencies and the Kwara State Polytechnic Security Unit has led to the arrest of a suspected cultist, Agboola Olamilekan, with a locally fabricated pistol recovered from him in Ilorin.

The operation, carried out as part of ongoing efforts to combat cultism and violent crimes across the state, was described by the police as another breakthrough in intelligence-driven policing aimed at dismantling criminal networks and reducing the circulation of illegal firearms.

Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, in a statement issued on Wednesday on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, said the suspect was apprehended during the joint operation while in possession of the firearm.

According to the statement, the operation is part of the Command’s sustained strategy to disrupt cult-related activities and deny criminal elements the opportunity to operate within the state.

Commenting on the development, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ojo Adekimi, reaffirmed the Command’s determination to intensify the fight against cultism and other violent crimes.

“Every successful operation represents another step towards dismantling criminal networks and enhancing public safety across the state through proactive and intelligence-led policing,” the commissioner said.

The police disclosed that investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest other suspected members of the criminal network linked to the suspect.

The Command added that it remains committed to advancing the policing vision of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, through intelligence-led policing, strategic collaboration with relevant stakeholders and sustained operations aimed at ensuring that those responsible for threatening the peace and security of Kwara State are brought to justice.

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