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2023 Elections: ‘Arrested Party Agents Were Not Plotting To Hack INEC Portal,’ Police Backtracks

The police had on Friday said that the agents were plotting to hack into the Presidential and National Assembly elections results portal. 


 

The Katsina State Police Command has issued a clarification on some party agents arrested in the state on Friday with computers allegedly to hack into the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to the command, the suspects were only setting up a situation room.

In a statement on Friday, the police had said at least 15 party agents were detained and paraded, adding that they were plotting to hack into the Presidential and National Assembly elections results portal.

But in another statement on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Katsina State, Gambo Isah, said after an in-depth investigation, they discovered that the arrested party agents were not planning to hack into the INEC portal but to set up an election situation room for their party.

READ ALSO: 2023 Elections: Katsina Police Arrest Party Agents Over Plot To Hack Portal 

“The Command wishes to state that it has carried out in-depth investigations with the assistance of independent computer expert[s] and it was discovered that the political party in question was setting up a situation room, using a computer application software, for the purpose of collating elections results through their party agents, but not to hack into INEC servers with intent to rig elections results as allegedly reported,” Isah said in the statement.

He said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Kolo Yusuf, assures members of the public that the Command is on top of the situation and in synergy with other sister agencies.

The police said water tight security had been put in place at all registration area centres (RACs), polling centers and units, and urged all to go out and cast their votes without any fear of attack or molestation.