By Robert AKPAN, Senior Investigator Correspondent Lagos/
LAGOS– THE Police yesterday paraded the severely beaten and bleeding community leader of Ibashe riverrine area of Lagos State, Eze Chinedu Mozie and eleven others who cried of being innocent; for electoral offences.
The parade of the Eze Ndigbo of Ibashe reverrine area yesterday is coming on heels of outcry by the Supreme Council of Eze Ndigbo Lagos on Monday, that one of their own who challenged thugs on the day of the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections who had accosted him and some other Igbos to go back to their houses, that the election was purely for the APC was beaten, injured and arrested by the Police and was being held at the SCIID.
The Igbo leaders had stated unequivocally that their colleague was wounded by thugs allegedly called for the purpose by the Oba of Ibashe riverrine area and thrown into detention for insisting on exercising his constitutional rights with others that were being threatened and ended up being severely wounded by thugs who also invited the Police to arrest and detain him with the wounds he sustained.
Parading the suspects at the state Investigations and Intelligence Department, SCIID, Panti, Yaba, spokesman of the command, Benjamin Hundeyin said they were arrested at Mushin, Ojo and Awani areas of the state and 114 PVC’s two ballot boxes, one BVAS machine and three ballot papers were recovered from them.
He gave their names as; Chisom Kalu, Charity Hannah, Mike Nwokehia, Elizabeth Adenike, and Joseph Agada. Other suspects who were also paraded were;Sunday Awnunu, Omaji Oyegwra, Okeke Vivian Chinyere.
He said that the Igbo leader, Uche Chinedu Mozie was arrested on the 18th March, 2023 at about 1:30 pm at Ibashe town while voting was in progress. According to him, Uche Chinedu allegedly came to the polling unit in accompany of his men and attempted to carry the ballot box. It resulted in a serious argument in the community and along the line; he used an object suspected to be animal horn to wound some people at the polling unit. He was arrested, while the victims were hospitalized.
SP Hyndeyin also said that Sunday Awnunu was arrested in Badagry for conduct likely to cause breach of peace and unlawful possession of electoral materials on the 18th March, 2023 at about 2:27 pm while Sunday Awnunu came to Idale town hall polling unit to disrupt the electoral process. “He was arrested by the Police and sixteen pieces of electoral papers (specimen) with nineteen pieces of designed form that contained names and account numbers at the polling Unit.
“Okeke Vivian Chinyere was arrested for unlawful possession of electoral material suspected to be fake. On 16th March, 2023 at about 2:20 PM, she was arrested with INEC identity card (TAG) for election duty within Ipaja area of Lagos State and she claimed to have printed the tag from one James Sarah Akintola printing office Ipaja.
Recovered from him are sixteen pieces of electoral papers (specimen), nineteen pieces of designed form that contain name and account at the polling unit,” he said.
SP Hyndeyin added that during the counting and sorting of ballot papers at the polling unit, Omaji Oyegwra Kenneth was threatening INEC official to upload the election result while the INEC official complaint of poor network; stressing, “In the process the Omaji Oyegwra assaulted the police officer at the polling unit including the INEC official.
The suspects involved in unlawful possession of PVC/Diversion of sensitive electoral materials will be handed over to Independent National Electoral Commission for prosecution.
Another suspect identified as Animashun Kabiru who was arrested in Sabo area in Lagos was also paraded for unlawful possession of firearms. It was gathered that two jack knives, small axe, pepper spray, one locally made pistol, one dagger and charms were recovered from him.”
