*Church member’s claims of thug invasion, whipping Peter Obi sentiment dismissed
*As residents accused media of helping distort truth of matter
*‘We saw three INEC staff on the church premises registering members’, Lagos Police Command confirms
By KEMI KASUMU
A yet another illegality hiding under the cover of Church has been uncovered in Lagos as officers of the Ijeshatedo Police Station arrested three staff of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who compromised in their official duty by conniving with a parish priest of St Brigigs Catholic Church, Ijeshatedo, Surulete Local Government Area of Lagos State, to create an illegal Permanent Voter’s Card registration unit in the church to register for members.
The DEFENDER reports that the INEC staff including Rita, Ikechukwu Izuchukwu and Agbokhna Ebigun, were arrested following alert by residents of the area, who complained to the police about plot by the church to disenfranchise some members of the public while ensuring only Christians under it were registered.
St. Brigigs Catholic Church, Ijeshatedo, Lagos, where three compromised INEC staff were arrested by officers of Lagos State Police Command for creating illegal PVC registration unit inside Church Hall, on Friday July 29, 2022.
Chairman, Residents Association of the area, Mr. Raji Azeem, who complained to the police, said residents had waited to no avail at the INEC approved registration centre of 9A Imam Thani Street, Ijesha, only to discover that the electoral officers had been camped at the Catholic Church Hall attending to members of the church alone.
He said, “The INEC registration officers, according to INEC provision should be stationed at 9A, Imam Thanni but this was not to be. We have been here awaiting their arrival but when we discovered that they were not forthcoming, we were worried.
“Only for us to discover that they have been camped at the St Brigigs Catholic Church auditorium on the influence of the parish priest registering only members of the church while we were in the queue waiting. It was a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise us.
“The House 9A Imam Thanni registration centre has remained a constant polling unit since 1983. But the priest decided to play the religious cards by inducing the electoral officers to register only his church members.
“The church members have been around since 5am but we were unaware of their plan until we busted them in action and handed them over to the police at the Ijeshatedo police station. The arrested INEC officers have been crying and begging for their misdeeds.
“But they were granted bail by the IPO, Inspector Shola so that they can continue with the registration. He instructed them to return after the exercise and that they should discontinue the exercise at the church hall and move to the venue approved by INEC.”
Media attempted to distort truth of matter – Resident
Another resident, Omolabake Ishola, said the news that political thugs invaded the venue of the registration exercise is false. She said the media platforms (excluding The DEFENDER) deliberately distorted the truth of the matter.
A video posted on the Twitter platform of a mainstream print media organisation, however, vindicated Omolabake over her accusation of media taking side with the wrong committed by the church compromising INEC staff while disenfranchising majority of eligible voters.
A voice on the video, whose owner named herself as Dr. Ambassador Princess Okojie Igemudia of the Church, claimed:
“This is St. Brigigs Catholic Church, where there supposed to have been PVC collection and registration today. To our greatest amazement, the police are just coming in, some hoodlums came into the Catholic Church, carried away the machine, depriving a lot of people from registration saying that, if they register they are likely to vote for Peter Obi.
“Is that what we continue to face in this country? With this kind of situation, how are we going to take this country back? Now, as I am talking to you now, a lot of people are discouraged, a lot of people are stranded. We don’t really know where we are going in this country. Where are we going? How can somebody come into a church, a reputed church like this magnitude and carried the machine with which they are giving PVC today, 29th of July 2022?
“Where are we going, Nigeria? Reporting this issue now is Dr. Ambassador Princess Okojie Igemudia, from St. Bridget Catholic Church Ijesha. Thank you and God bless you all,” the video posted by Vanguard Newspaper on its Twitter social media platform claimed with a cover note:
“Thugs invade PVC registration center, made away with machines
“Some thugs have invaded St. Bridget Catholic Church ljesha, Surulere Lagos, and carted away registration https://t.co/VuuXWDSY6o”.
But the resident, Omolabake Ishola dismissed the politics-laden religious sentiments in the claims of Dr. Ambassador Princess Okojie Igemudia of the Church as merely a fallacy, saying all the media reported of her was complete distortion of truth of the matter.
According to Ishola, “There were no thugs at the registering venue contrary to what is being reported by some media houses. The fact of the matter is that the INEC officers have been compromised and they decided to register only members of the Catholic Church while other residents were left out.
“We have been around since 8am only to discover that INEC officers are at the church hall registering church members. This isn’t fair enough. From what we heard, the Parishioner had announced that he had made arrangements for the electoral officers to come to the church hall to register all members. But we should ask ourselves, is there a registration centre at the church hall? We have to be truthful with ourselves.”
Police’s preliminary report proves residents right but Church, INEC staff wrong
Claims posted in the mainstream print medium’s social media platforms were punctured as Lagos State Police Command confirmed the illegality of the Church as voters registration centre mounted by the INEC officers, who compromised.
Against claim and sensational video broadcast of the Church’s Princess Okojie Igemudia, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the arrest of the three INEC staff doing the illegal duty on the church premises, provided evidence – to the extent of the wrong committed – in a list of centres PVC registration exercise should be carried out as approved by INEC, a development that made it worrisome that Igemudia would attempt using religious sentiment to justify illegality for reason best known to her and her “reputable” church.
The state Police Spokesman said the INEC staff were found within the church premises registering members whereas, they were officially approved to be at house number 9A Imam Thani Street, Ijesha in the part of Lagos for the exercise.
SP Hundeyin said, “The INEC officials were assigned to Imam Thani Street by House No 9A for today’s exercise. They were, however, found within the church premises. Residents raised concern & informed the police. The DPO Ijeshatedo swung into action and brought the INEC officials to the station. https://t.co/4HI3UFEgWx”
Some screenshots photos regarding media claims as we’re debunked by residents and police preliminary report below:
Claim of thug invasion posted by Vanguard. It was however debunked by residents and police preliminary report.
Confirmation and table of approved PVC registration centres in the Ijeshatedo, Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State. St. Brigigs Catholic Church not among as posted on Lagos PPRO SP Benjamin Hundeyin ‘s Twitter handle on Friday July 29, 2022.
