DSS arrests three over fake registration centre, extortion

The Department of State Service has arrested three persons for allegedly operating a fake Continuous Voter Registration centre and for extorting eligible voters by promising to enroll them in the ongoing registration exercise in Nasarawa state.

The INEC acting Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, Ibrahim Onawo, disclosed this while speaking to our correspondent in Lafia on Friday.

Onawo explained that the three suspects were arrested by the DSS operatives while they were distributing registration forms to eligible voters at the Government Science Secondary School, Lafia.

He said the arrest of the suspects followed a tip-off by the committee set up recently to investigate alleged extortion of eligible voters in the state.

Onawo said that the suspects would be handed over to the police for further investigations.

“The suspects claimed that their non-governmental organization, Middle Belt Youth Development Organization had collaborated with INEC in Nasarawa state which was why they went ahead to register the eligible voters.

“We actually received a letter from the NGO but we are yet to approve their request, so I wonder why they went ahead to collect money from residents of the state, claiming that we were working in partnership.

“Each of the eligible voters paid N1,000 for registration, so you can imagine how much money they have made from the public.

“These are the people giving the commission a bad image and we will not tolerate it. The DSS will transfer the case to the police for onward investigation,” Onawo said.

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