Soldiers intercept truck with election materials in Ekiti

Soldiers on Thursday arrested three men conveying a truck load of election materials meant for the governorship election in Ekiti State.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the materials were impounded at Itawure Junction near Efon-Alaye, in Efon Local Government Area of the state.

The Brigade Commander, 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure, Brig.-Gen. Aliyu Momoh, made the disclosure on Thursday night at a media briefing.

He said his men, at a checkpoint in Itawure, stopped the men, who could not provide satisfactory answers to questions posed to them by the soldiers.

The arrested men were Olufemi Ose, Segun Akanbi and Biodun Erinfolami.

NAN reports that the men were said to be driving a Mercedes Benz truck marked Lagos APP 952 XL, which has the inscription of Adewole F Odunayo Enterprises on its sides.

Materials found in the vehicle included ballot papers, rubber stamps, ink pads, reflective jackets bearing the Independent National Electoral Commission, among others.

However, it was observed that the rubber stamps and ink pads bore 2014, but some of the ballot papers bore 2007 election and 2009 rerun governorship election marks.

Momoh, who said his men were not in the state to harass or molest anybody, warned against any attempt to cause trouble.

“We are not here to intimidate or harass anybody, but we want to sound a note of warning that whoever thinks he can cause trouble by engaging in funny things will be dealt with severely.

“You only need to have your voter card and use your thumb to print the appropriate area on the ballot paper,” he said.

One of the arrested men, Olufemi Ose, said he was contacted by somebody in Lagos to help convey beans to Akure.

He said it was in Akure that another person asked him to come over to Ado-Ekiti to help him convey some waste items.

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Soldiers intercept truck with election materials in Ekiti