ABOUT 20 empty casements of Direct Data Capturing (DDC) machines imported by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but reportedly stolen by gunmen on Monday night have been recovered.
A source said they were found at the end of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos runway in a bush close to Shasha, a residential area near the airport.
But the casements were all devoid of the DDC machines crated in them.
Some gunmen carted away the equipment at the Cargo shed area of Nigeria Aviation Handling Company after it was offloaded from a Saudi Air aircraft.
But the INEC yesterday reassured the nation that the voters’ registration exercise scheduled for January 15-29, 2011 remained on course. In a statement by Chief Press Secretary to the commission’s chairman, Kayode Idowu, INEC wrote: “This reassurance is necessary against the backdrop of the theft of some Direct Data Capture machines at the Lagos Airport.
“A consignment of 20 machines was stolen on Tuesday, out of a total of 6,000 brought into the country by Zinox Technologies Ltd., the contractor. Sixteen of these have been recovered by Thursday afternoon, and security agents are working assiduously to recover the four outstanding and apprehend the culprits.
“Besides, there are adequate safety features to forestall any nefarious use of the stolen items; as such, the integrity of the electoral processes would not be compromised.”
The INEC official assured that security had been beefed up at all the points of importation for the equipment to guard against “further breaches.”
Idowu added: “The Commission urges all eligible Nigerians to turn out for the planned voter registration in January, and to work with INEC for the attainment of free, fair and credible elections in 2011.”
However, the Presidency yesterday summoned the Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze and Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority (FAAN), Richard Aisuebeogun, over the security situation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, where the DDC machines were stolen.
The summons almost marred a media briefing scheduled by Njeze to present her scorecard in the aviation sector.
The briefing earlier slated for 11.00 a.m. did not hold until 4.00 p.m. when she returned from the Presidency.
Also, the House of Representatives yesterday reacted to the reported theft of the DDC machines and mandated its committees on Aviation, Customs, Electoral Matters and Internal Security to wade into the matter and report to the House within one week.
The House then resolved that “the Nigerian Police, the State Security Services, the Nigerian Customs Service, Zinox Technologies and the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (HAHCO) commence an immediate and intensive collaborative investigation into the incident, with a view to recovering the allegedly stolen machines.”
And, former Governor of old Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa and National Publicity Secretary, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Lai Mohammed, have called on security agents in the country to fish out those behind the INEC’s machines heist.
They said the action portend great danger to the 2011 polls.
According to Musa, “unless the machines are recovered and the culprits arrested and charged for treasonable felony, there is no assurance that the coming election will be free and fair.
“Their intention is not a subject of debate; they simply wanted to disrupt the exercise and cause chaos so that their sponsor will continue in power beyond May 29, 2011.”
Mohammed said: “I see no reason enough security was not given to protect such sensitive equipment as they landed at the airport on Monday knowing the tension that was already in the country.”
Former Ogun State Governor, Olusegun Osoba, said the incidence had already determined the result of the election “because whosoever manipulates the voter register could easily determine the election.”
He noted that the common strategy used in the past to rig election was to manipulate the voters’ register “but since INEC decided to import data-capturing machines, the same fraudulent people found a way to steal them. This indicates that some people do not want to leave power.”
At about 2.00 p.m. when The Guardian visited the Beesam Police Station where the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Airport Police was investigating the case, policemen were seen carrying the recovered boxes with ‘INEC’ conspicuously written on them.
The Guardian counted 16 silver-coloured casements brought into the police station.
Instructing his men to quickly “take the machines to the exhibit room,” Assistant Commissioner of Police, Omololu Bishi, told The Guardian: “They are all empty; they have removed everything. Please, go and get the remaining information from the PRO at the Airport.
“Everybody is culpable and I believe that those who were on night duty, including Customs, NAHCO and SAHCOL officers, Aviation security personnel and the Officer-in-Charge (OC) on that night would be queried, another police officer stated.
Also confirming the recovery of the materials, Moses Onireti, Commissioner of Police at the Airport said: ‘Yes, 16 of the machines have just been found but with nothing inside. We are still on the lookout for the others. That is all I can tell you for now.”
Onireti said the Police have not made any arrest on the matter.
Raising a point-of-order on the matter on the floor of the House yesterday, John Halims Agoda, expressed shock at the theft of the equipment, especially when, according to him, “all Nigerians are expecting a free and fair election in the 2011 polls.”
He also expressed doubt on INEC’s claims that it could carry out credible elections, with the development.
Agoda added: “It is irresponsible and negligence of duty on the part of all agencies responsible for these machines and this House must ensure that we get to the root of this matter since our democracy seems at risk here.”
Speaking in support of the motion, Sani Saleh Minjibir, said: “We need to take urgent actions that would inspire confidence in the mind of the electorate so that the 2011 elections would be free and fair.”
Another member, Mustapha Habibu, said: “INEC has not taken delivery of the machines, so as far as the law of contract is concerned, the machines are not yet that of INEC. How are we even sure that the machines have been imported in the first place? Suddenly, we hear that the machines, which INEC has not seen, are stolen. This may be a wider conspiracy to sabotage this election.”
Also contributing, Mayor Eze contended that the incident had cast a big question mark on the 2011 elections. He said: “It is dangerous and at the same time embarrassing for this county. We have to get to the bottom of the matter as soon as possible.”
But, Emmanuel Jime cautioned the House over what he called “a hasty conclusion.”
According to him, “given the penchant for what the media can do by way of spinning things out of context, we should not rush into conclusion yet.
“We need to carry out a thorough investigation before we conclude. What is very clear is that there were theft of 6,000 machines out of the 14,000 that had arrived. I want to advise INEC to go ahead and acquire the missing machines quickly to fill in the gap. The credibility of this election should not be taken for granted.”
Source:www.ngrguardiannews.com
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