Police Arraign Electoral Offenders, Grant Others Administrative Bail

Akwa Ibom State Police command has charged several suspects alleged to have aided and abetted fraud during the just-concluded general elections to court.

The commissioner of police, CP Olatoye Durosinmi had during a recent stakeholders’ meeting at the state headquarters, Ikot Akpanabia, near Uyo, the state capital, vowed to prosecute and punish any suspects found culpable in line with the extant laws of the country.

In an interview with journalists yesterday, the police public relations officer, SP Odiko Macdon, confirmed that those arrested had been charged to court.

He said those who were found with incriminating evidence arraigned while the others were granted what he called “administrative bail” as their offences appeared more civil to be allowed the benefit of such a facility.

He said the distinction became necessary as “you cannot give the same treatment meted on a suspect found with a gun to his associate not found with any weapon.”

LEADERSHIP recalled the interception by troops of a bus load of several fake agents including mercenaries on military uniforms and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in parts of the state as they moved from unit to unit to manipulate the results from the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), who were handed over to the Command for prosecution.