23rd April, 2015
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
Three members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, who served as adhoc staff during the 11 April House of Assembly election in Edo State, southern Nigeria, have been arrested for allegedly selling ballot papers and other sensitive materials.
The corps members, who were among 15, 000 adhoc and members of staff of the commission deployed for the conduct of the 2015 general elections in the state, were alleged to have sold the electoral materials for N40,000.
Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini, who made the disclosure while reviewing the 2015 general elections, said the three NYSC members sold two packets of ballot papers.
He also disclosed that two staff members of the commission who could not account for election materials given to them were suspended.
The REC said investigations have commenced to determine the level of involvement of the two INEC staff.
“The ongoing investigation is to determined whether their act was deliberate or out of sheer negligence.
“With respect to the NYSC members, they were given ballot papers of which they sold two packets and were nabbed,” Igini said, describing their offences as severe.
He said they would be dealt with decisively.