Police arrest fraudsters posing as election officials to collect wages

The police in Calabar, Cross River State have arrested four persons who yesterday posed as ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the payment of outstanding allowances to those recruited by the organisation to help conduct the last general elections.

The four persons, who claimed to have worked for INEC during the April polls but were actually not recruited, are Franklyn Osim, Eyibio Inyang Ndem, Chukwuma Tagbo and Stephen Otu.

Arrested at the instance of INEC, the four men are now being detained at the Federal Housing Estate police station in Calabar and risk prosecution on conclusion of investigation.

Mike Igini, the state resident electoral commissioner who paraded the four suspects, said Mr Otu, a staff of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital [UCTH] who claimed to be a university graduate, a criterion for recruitment as electoral officer, was discovered not to be a graduate and was allegedly recruited by one Essien Eyibio, another staff of the hospital.

The INEC boss said Mr Otu's behaviour during the payment exercise was unbecoming, as he caused distraction at the commission's office including throwing a bottle at Chris Okereke, the administrative officer of INEC in Calabar.

"In the last one week, we have been putting up modalities for the payment of the ad hoc staff in the state," Mr Igini said. "First we started with audit checks to reconcile names of those who worked to ensure that those who genuinely worked were actually paid. We want to make sure that nobody is shortchanged."

"Some of these impersonators had computer offices and photographers where they easily run to print fake identity cards and affix them with pictures to collect other peoples' money. But luck ran out on some of them. These people, who operate a cartel, after collecting the money go back and share it while the real people that worked for it will end up going home without collecting their money," he said.

Mr Igini said when the commission sensed trouble regarding the payment, it decided to take the payment point to a police barracks for maximum security but despite this, the suspects still went there to cause trouble.

"The essence of the payment at the barracks was for the criminally minded individuals not to be there," Mr Igini said. "One Stephen Otu was one of the most troublesome persons. He threw a bottle at the administrative secretary and when accosted, he called over 100 people who overpowered the staff. Our interaction with him revealed that several of them were recruited by a staff of the UCTH for the purpose of collecting the money with identity cards. While we were at the police barracks, we got information to suspend payment of money to the staff of UCTH", he said.

The electoral commissioner said an arrested lady, Grace Okey, who works in a business centre, was drafted into the deal by the suspects to prepare fake identity cards for them.