Missing DDC Machine: Police Quiz Clearing Agent

Following reports of  missing Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines at the Lagos airport, authorities of the police in Lagos have swung into action to unravel the mystery.

The Commissioner of Police, Lago Airport Command, Mr Moses Onireti, said a clearing agent was being quizzed over the alleged missing of the DDC machines ordered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the airport.

Onireti told newsmen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, yesterday that the clearing agent  Service Solution  was an agent to Zinox Technology Company, a contractor to the INEC.

The Police Commissioner said the agent was invited along with officials of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) and Sky Power Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) to assist the police in their investigation.

He explained that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) formally informed the command in a letter on Wednesday that some pallets containing INEC materials were missing.

According to him, FAAN did not state the number of pallets missing in the letter signed by one Ogbonna E. B., a FAAN security officer at the airport.

“In the letter, they categorically stated that the pallets containing INEC materials got missing.

“They did not indicate how many machines or consignment of INEC materials that have arrived so far, they only informed us that some materials were missing,” Onireti said.

He said that the matter had been referred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the command.

“I have told the ACP in charge of the CID to hasten the investigation because of the importance of those missing items so that we can put our report together and get to Abuja,” he said.

Onireti, however, said that no arrest had been made so far on the incident.

“After this incident, Zinox has officially written to the police to be at the ramp for subsequent arrival of INEC materials.

“With this experience, we have now been allowed into the tarmac to cover the area.

“The request for us to be around means that Zinox and Service Solution confirmed the loss of the materials because they wrote to us Wednesday.