As part of measures to ensure a hitch-free governorship and House of Assembly elections, the Lagos Police Command has commenced investigations on the alleged threat issued by Chairman, Lagos State Parks Management Committee, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly called MC Oluomo, against voters that have decided they will not cast their votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the exercise across the state.
It noted that MC Oluomo and others that have made inciteful statements before, during, and after elections would be investigated and anyone found culpable would be dealt with in accordance with the Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act 2015.
The Command said that no one would be allowed to intimidate as well as harass electorates, preventing them from casting their votes freely without being under duress during the elections scheduled for March 18th in Lagos.
MC Oluomo, in a viral video, was said to have allegedly threatened that any Igbo people and other non-indigenes living in Lagos should shelve the idea of voting during the poll if they would not vote for APC.
In the video that has gone viral on different social media platforms, MC Oluomo said, “Please tell them, we have begged them. If they don’t vote for us, it is not a fight. Tell them that Chukwudi’s mother, if you don’t vote for us, sit down at home. Do you understand? Sit down at home.”
The Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, disclosed the ongoing investigations on Friday while responding to plans already put in place by the command to prevent a breakdown of law and order during exercises across the state.
Owohunwa, who condemned the statement, added that the Cybercrimes Unit of the Command has commenced an immediate and comprehensive investigation into various incendiary and inciting videos making the rounds on social media in relation to the 2023 general elections.
He said: “We condemn in the strongest possible terms any act, statement, or an action that could be interpreted as hate speech or that could be interpreted as deepening political tension regardless of the brain that might be behind it. With regards to this specific video you mentioned, it is currently a subject of a detailed investigation.”
The police boss, meanwhile, assured Lagosians that the brains and motives behind the videos would be unmasked and those found culpable dealt with in accordance with the Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act 2015.
According to him, the outcome of the investigation on those that have made inciteful comments would be made public in the interest of transparency and public accountability.
Owohunwa also warned all those brewing violence in the state should desist or face the full wrath of the law, adding that the law enforcement agents will not spare any lawbreaker.
While the investigative process is advancing, Owohunwa urged voters to disregard the videos and proceed to exercise their franchise as adequate and improved security has been emplaced at various polling units and collation centres across the state.
“Of course, we are deploying our cyber security access to solve that. And, I can assure you that nobody is above the law. This country is regulated. Anybody that tries to use his position, or his influence on others to deepen hate, or engender political tension which could, of course, snowball into violence, it remains the responsibility and the mandate of the Nigeria Police to investigate such cases.
“This specific one you mentioned will not be in isolation. It is already a subject of review. And it will be in the interest of the actors behind it and all others that might wish to also engage in such ill-informed, indirect action to be very careful, to be firmly warned because in the fullness of time, the full law will take its course and it will be not different in this instance if established,” Owohunwa added.
