The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has raised a team of detectives and experts to conduct a thorough investigation into the audio tape released by online medium.
SaharaReporters claimed that the voice on the tape was that of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, in which he said he would kill officials of the electoral commission who fail to honour their words to rig in his favour.
A statement in Abuja yesterday by the Force Spokesman, Don Awunah, stated that the investigative team is mandated to conduct forensic analysis on the audio report. It is also to look into the statement of the INEC chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmud that “there were 70 incidents that tended to derail the December 10, 2016 re-run elections in Rivers State.”
The police have also urged the government of Rivers State and INEC to avail the team available facts.
“The Government of Rivers State and INEC are enjoined to avail the investigative team with facts at their disposal and grant them the desired cooperation and assistance to achieve a comprehensive and conclusive investigation.”
However, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Austin Tam-George has dismissed the telephone conversation allegedly made between Wike and some officials of INEC as a fabrication.
He noted that Sahara Reporters, which released the audio acted for the All Progressives Congress (APC), and described it as outright lie, saying whole thing was an allegation and fabrication, as he added that there was no time that the governor made any contact with officials of INEC for the purpose of rigging the rerun elections.
Tam-George said that modern technology has made it possible for a person’s voice to be manipulated, alleging that the online medium has been the propaganda arm of the APC.
He said, “No one would have thought that the APC and its cowardly media allies would resort to an audio impersonation of Governor Nyesom Wike, using a voice changer technology. The voice changer technology is often used by teenagers mainly in South Korea and Japan to launch innocent technology prank at each other, mainly for laughs.”
Reacting yesterday, the APC sate Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone said, “Having been caught in the web of their own machinations, what do you expect Governor Nyesom Wike and his Commissioner to say?
“Often when anyone is caught pants down, the most convenient and ready response is to blame and blackmail others. The truth remains that Gov. Wike in that online medium’ audio tape was caught pants down and he simply cannot find where to hide.”
The police asked “The election observers, civil society groups, human rights watchers and other stakeholders to assist the team with valuable information they may have.”
The investigative team which is headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police has 30 days to complete the investigation and submit report.
Promising that findings from the investigation will be made public, the police Force also noted that it is committed to enthroning the principles of democratic policing and ensuring that the IGP’s master plan on election security takes hold in the country in accordance with international best practices and core values of Policing with integrity.