Juliana Francis
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, Abuja, has denied that a policeman was caught with thumb-printed ballot papers as was alleged in a viral video.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), a Superintendent of Police, Josephine Adeh, while debunking the allegation in a statement, also denied that a corps member was killed in the FCT.
Adeh, who said it was important to set the records straight concerning misinformation and disinformation on social media, added that the story that a police officer was allegedly caught with thumb-printed ballot papers, was not true.
She said: “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 at 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.
“It is equally pertinent to state that the Corps member who was attacked in the video was shielded and taken to safety by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and his men from the Lugbe Divisional Headquarters. He was not murdered as alleged in trending news.
“The FCT Command hereby warns all electorates to maintain decorum and desist from attacks on lawful authority while all grievances should be channelled through the proper process for resolution.”
