From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau
The Zamfara state Police Command in conjunction with the state headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared the air on the two vehicles arrested last Tuesday by men on patrol while conveying items suspected to be election materials meant for Sokoto INEC officials.
In a joint press conference with the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Asma’u Sani Maikudi, the Commissioner of Police, CP Celestine Okoye confirmed that his men on patrol had nabbed two vehicles loaded with items suspected to be electoral materials, and preliminary investigation revealed that the items were nonsensitive materials meant for INEC officials in Sokoto state.
CP Celestine further noted that, “After thorough investigation, it was found that the materials were the belongings of INEC and were meant for the oncoming general elections, and were confirmed to be nonsensitive”.
“I refused to release the suspected vehicles, because there were no INEC staffs, security agents or any other relevant official accompanying the materials “, Mr. Celestine Okoye stressed.
Meanwhile, CP Okoye disclosed that he later received an official letter from the INEC headquarters in Abuja, that the arrested materials are for Sokoto state meant for the oncoming general elections to hold the 23rd of February 2019.
Also giving further clarification, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Asma’u Maikudi confirmed that the materials were nonsensitive election materials meant for the INEC Zonal office in Sokoto.
“I and some other officials from my Commission have went to check on the vehicles and the said materials, and we found that they were nonsensitive materials for our Sokoto Zonal store meant for the coming general elections.
“As you are all aware, that our materials have been kept with the CBN Gusau branch, and we are now distributing out the nonsensitive items. So, they are actually for our Zonal office in Sokoto”, Dr. Asma’u has testified.
Earlier, speculations went round in Gusau the state capital, that two vehicles were arrested by the Police and were loaded with electoral materials suspected to be voted ballot papers in possession of one of the contesting political parties, the development which made the general public more inquisitive on the issue.
