Six persons have been arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force at a hotel in Benin City, capital of Edo State with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP letterheads, stamps and forged signatures with a surreptitious mission.
Operatives reportedly arrested them with incriminating materials such as printers, mobile phones, power banks, laptops, and a photocopy machine, are believed to have been involved in drafting and circulating fake PDP letters and statements.
Their objective was to paint the PDP as instigators of unrest ahead of the forthcoming Edo governorship election, scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2024.
The arrest, which was made following a tip-off, uncovered an elaborate scheme allegedly designed to discredit the PDP and its leaders by sending fabricated documents to unsuspecting journalists.
These fake letters and statements, according to police sources, were intended to portray the party as warmongers and troublemakers in the run-up to the critical election.
A police officer involved in the operation, who asked to remain anonymous, revealed that the suspects had been using the hotel as their base of operations for weeks.
“We found that these individuals were using forged PDP letterheads, stamps, and signatures to create fake documents.
“Their goal was to send out these documents to journalists in an attempt to misrepresent the PDP and create an atmosphere of tension ahead of the elections,” the officer said.
In addition to the counterfeit materials, the police discovered that the young men had several technological devices, including laptops and printers, which they used to produce and disseminate the fraudulent documents.
“Their setup was sophisticated. They had everything they needed to make the documents appear legitimate, from forged letterheads to printers.
“We also found power banks, mobile phones, and a photocopy machine, which they used to mass-produce the fake letters,” the officer added.
Further investigation has revealed that the six young men were funded by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Meanwhile, another police source disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force, Edo State Command, has come under intense pressure from senior APC figures, who are reportedly pushing for the release of the arrested men.
“Since the arrest, there has been immense pressure on us from certain chieftains within the APC, urging the command to release these individuals.
“We believe that their involvement with these young men is being covered up, and they are worried about the potential fallout from this arrest,” the source noted.
A journalist with one of the prominent national newspapers, who had been unknowingly receiving fake statements from the group, expressed shock upon hearing about the arrests.
“It’s alarming to think that we’ve been receiving statements from people who were impersonating the PDP. This shows how low some people will go to try and sabotage the other party. The integrity of this election is now under serious question,” the journalist stated.
The Edo State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the matter, but sources within the command say investigations are ongoing, and the suspects remain in custody.
