Men of the Department of state services (DSS) have apprehended a staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Rivers State.
The staff, a security guard with the electoral body, has been detained by the DSS for allegedly seeking bribe before releasing permanent voters cards (PVC) for eligible voters in the state.
Spokesperson for INEC in Rivers state, Geraldine Ekelemu, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Tuesday.
Ekelemu said the staff was nabbed for allegedly extorting unsuspecting members of the public. However, she did not reveal the name of the staff.
It was learnt that the INEC staff had been extorting those visiting the commission’s office to register for the ongoing Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC).
It was gathered that the INEC staff was attached to the office of the commission in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Ms Ekelemu noted that INEC has zero tolerance for acts of extortion by its staff, adding that the electoral body would ensure the DSS carries out a thorough investigation.
The INEC spokesperson in the state advised members of the public to avoid acts of desperation that could render them vulnerable to fraudsters.