Chukwudi Akasike
Ahead of the December 10, 2016, legislative rerun election in Rivers State, the police in the state have arrested a syndicate involved in the printing of fake result sheets in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Policemen from the state stormed a building located at No. 12, Isiokpo Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt, ostensibly on a tip-off.

 
 
It was gathered that the suspects were caught in the act when the security agents got to the place and a huge number of printed result sheets and sophisticated printing machines were recovered.
A police source said the operation was carried out at about 1pm after they were alerted to the act by a well-meaning Nigerian.

The security source told SUNDAY PUNCH that the suspects had been taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department of the state Police Command for further investigation.

“Yes, policemen were told about a place where fake result sheets were being printed and they swung into action immediately. They were there at about 1pm and they were able to arrest about four suspects,” he said.
However, the state Police Public Relations Officers, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, said he was not aware of the matter.

Reacting to the development, the Rivers State Government in a statement signed by the Special Assistant to the governor on Electronic Media, Mr. Simeon Nwakandu, accused the All Progressives Congress in the state of being responsible for the act.

But the state Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Chris Finebone, faulted the claim, adding that no member of the party was involved the act.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Information and Communication in the state, Dr. Austin Tam-George, has urged the Independent Electoral Commission to make the forthcoming rerun election free, fair and credible.
He also advised the APC to abandon what it described as politics of desperation and work with the state government to make the election credible.