BVAS Machines Missing Again At INEC Uyo Office

UYO
The recurring disappearance of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has continued to raise serious concerns, with principal officers declining to provide information or speak officially on the matter.
Findings reveal that the machines went missing on two separate occasions within a span of three weeks, with no official explanation from the commission, despite a police investigation already underway.
The storekeeper, Mr. Sunday Asuquo Jonah, who was reportedly invited by the police for interrogation, refused to speak to The Pioneer when contacted on phone for comments.
Similarly, the head of ICT, Mr. Cosmos Ezeoha, confirmed the incidents but said he was still struggling to recover from the shock of the first disappearance.
Ezeoha is alleged to have been on transfer few days before the discovery of the first theft but got redeployed to Akwa Ibom the following week almost coinciding with the second theft.
He stated that he was waiting for the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Obo
Effanga, who discovered the first disappearance during a routine inspection, to make an official statement to the press. As of press time, Mr. Effanga could not be reached for comment.
A member of INEC Uyo’s media team, Mr. Etim Bassey, said he was not authorised or qualified
to speak on the matter, while efforts to reach the head of Voter Education, Mrs. Bukola Ojeme, were unsuccessful.
The head of administration, Mrs. Eme Akpa, was evasive when approached by the reporter.
She fixed several appointments which she would later cancel and reschedule. It was later gathered that she had been transferred out of the state and has done the handing over ceremony before hurrying out of the state the Friday the second heist was discovered.
The state resident electoral commissioner, Mr Obo Efanga who is alleged to have discovered the first heist refused to mention the incidence to journalists during his first interaction with them, held last week to announce his assumption of duties in the state.
INEC staff who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed anger and disillusionment over the situation, with many of them speaking in hushed tones and unwilling to be quoted. There are fears that the missing machines may affect the planned voter registration exercise earlier announced by the REC to commence across the state next month.
The repeated disappearance of the machines has sparked concerns over security lapses and internal coordination within the Uyo office of the electoral body. No official statement has been issued by the commission at the state or national level, and the outcome of the ongoing police investigations remains unclear.
As of the time of filing this report, no arrests have been made, and the whereabouts of the missing BVAS machines remain unknown. The police public relations officer, DSP Timfon John did not pick her calls nor respond to enquires through text message on the matter as at the time of filling this report.