By Festus Ahon

ASABA—THE police in Delta State have arrested a leader of Labour Party, LP, (name withheld) in Asaba for allegedly stealing result sheets and other administrative documents belonging to the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC. The man was reportedly arrested by the police in one of the hotels in the capital city in his bid to escape with the materials.

Vanguard gathered that the suspect who posed as an agent of the party, had applied for certified copies of results for tribunal purposes at Asaba office of INEC, but escaped with the results and other documents while his application was still being processed. INEC officials who raised alarm immediately they noticed that the suspect vanished into thin air, alerted the police who arranged a search party for him.

According to a dependable source, the suspect was traced to his hideout in a hotel where he was apprehended with some of the documents. Both INEC and Labour Party officials who were contacted declined comments, insisting that it was a police matter. However, an INEC official who does not want his name in print confirmed the arrest, saying the police were handling the matter.

A police source said the party leader was a familiar face at INEC office, adding that he had represented Labour Party in most of the meetings that involved the commission and political parties in the state.

The state Police Public Relation Officer, Celestina Kalu, said a matter of result sheets forgery was being investigated and anybody could be arrested. However, a senior police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident and said investigation was on to unmask all those involved.