Oyo Printer Arrested for Printing Forged Ballot Papers and then Released

An Ibadan printer, who was arrested on suspicion of printing forged ballot papers, has been released after it became clear that he was undertaking an official INEC contract.

The printer, Mr Abraham Olotu, was picked up, along with two other men, by State Security Services officers in the Mokola area of Ibadan. This followed a tip off. He was accused of possessing about 7,000 false ballot papers.

According to the Oyo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Saliu Hashimu, investigations revealed that the printer had in fact been contracted by the state branch of INEC to print tags used to identify ad hoc election officials at the polling units.

Oyo’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Ayo Adakeja, said that the contract had been given to the local printers "in line with a directive from the INEC Headquarters that states with shortages of non sensitive materials such as tags, should improvise”

He said they had received the go-ahead from INEC HQ in Abuja to have the tags printed locally. Last Saturday there had been a shortage of tags resulting in some ad hoc polling staff being temporarily arrested.