Police raid Niger APC Situation Room over alleged thumb printing

Operatives of the Niger State Police Command have raided the Situation Room of the All Progressive Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Umar Bago, in Minna, the state.

According to PUNCH, the Director of digital and strategic communications of the Bago campaign organisation, Abdulberqy Ebbo, said the police came into the building and ransacked the situation room on Sunday, saying they were acting on a tip off from some people.

Ebbo said the Divisional Police Officer who led the search said he was reliably informed that officials of the Independent Electoral Commission were in the building with sensitive materials thumb printing ahead of the Saturday elections in favor of the APC.

He said, “I got a call that the Situation Room was being searched by the police. I rushed there and asked the DPO what was going on and he said they were informed that INEC staff were in the Situation Room thumbprinting ahead of the governorship elections of Saturday.

“When they finished searching, they discovered that there was no such thing going in the building, at that time, the commissioner for police had also arrived the premises, so the boys who had the information were arrested for giving false information to the police.”

He said as he was arriving the building, he noticed many PDP members standing by and then realised the report purportedly came from them.

He added that the CP said having a Situation Room wasn’t out of place.

Reacting, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Wasiu, said two persons have been arrested for false information and attempt to cause breach of peace in the state.

“On Sunday, around 3pm, information was received that some persons were found in a building at Bosso Estate thumbprinting ballot papers towards the forthcoming governorship elections in the state.

“Unfortunately, on entering the building and based on preliminary investigation, it was discovered that the information was false.”

Wasiu disclosed that the informant who was identified as Ndagi and one other were immediately arrested for giving false information and attempt to cause breach of peace at the scene.

He also stated that the suspects had been transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.