Abuja
INEC Expresses Satisfaction With Smooth Accreditation, Voter Turnout: FCT Polls
INEC Expresses Satisfaction With Smooth Accreditation, Voter Turnout: FCT Polls
INEC expresses satisfaction with smooth accreditation, voter turnout: FCT Polls. He praised the calm atmosphere and the conduct of both voters and security personnel.
News Agency of Nigeria • February 21, 2026
Joash Amupitan
Joash Amupitan [Credit: Punch Newspaper]
Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections, describing the process as orderly, efficient and peaceful.
Mr Amupitan made this known on Saturday in Abuja while speaking with journalists after monitoring the process at few polling units within the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
Mr Amupitan maintained that the performance of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the level of voter turnout were positive indicators for the country’s democratic process.
He highlighted the speed of the accreditation process, noting that the BVAS technology had significantly reduced waiting times for voters.
“You can see by yourself that the election is orderly and very efficient. The election is peaceful and those are the indices of a good election.
“So far, the efficiency of the BVAS is high and I am very satisfied because the BVAS are working effectively and efficiently.
“From what I have seen and heard from the presiding officers, it takes about less than five seconds to even accredit a voter.
“So far, I can say that the election is well organised. The election is peaceful from the calm atmosphere you have seen,” Mr Amupitan said.
He commended the turnout of voters, attributing it to an increased awareness among citizens regarding the importance of participating in the electoral process.
He also praised the calm atmosphere and the conduct of both voters and security personnel.
“You can see a lot of people here and they are conducting themselves well. I learned that there are 30 security personnel that are present here.
“They are also conducting their affairs in an orderly manner. So, we hope that at the close of the poll, we will have a very successful election,” he said.
Addressing a question regarding an incident involving the harassment of a journalist by security personnel, Mr Amupitan said that INEC remained committed to the safety of all accredited personnel.
“I am only aware that there was one journalist that was arrested and immediately we intervened.
“The Chief Press Secretary and some people spoke to the police and the person was immediately released unmolested.
“We have taken every measure to ensure that nobody is molested. Accredited journalists and observers are granted access to the places they are supposed to be. We have not withdrawn any accreditation,” he said.
The INEC boss, however, acknowledged minor hiccups in certain areas, especially the delay in arrival of election materials and ad hoc officials in few polling units, noting that INEC was on top of the situation.
He said that as at 10:30 a.m., 99 per cent of polling units across the FCT had successfully opened and that the commission was monitoring the situation in real-time from the situation room to ensure all eligible voters were attended to.
INEC
Mr Amupitan pledged that the commission would not only ensure that the votes of Nigerians count in the FCT election, but would ensure further improvements, moving forward to the 2027 general elections.
“The voices of Nigerians will be held this time around. The BVAS, as far as I am concerned, is working very well.”
Some of the polling units visited by Amupitan included: PU 016, Area 8, Garki, AMAC, PU 005 LGEA Primary school Garki Village, PUs 001 and 002, 052, Junior Secondary School, Area 1, 007 National Library, Area 2, Garki, AMAC.
The chairman also visited the INEC FCT office, where the deployment of election result collation officers was ongoing.
NPF Debunks False Terror Alert In FCT, Arrests Suspect For Incitement
False terror alert in FCT,. The Nigeria Police Force wishes to categorically debunk a viral video circulating on social media alleging an ongoing terrorist attack in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The Force states unequivocally that no such incident occurred, and the claims contained in the video are entirely false, misleading, and malicious.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the video was deliberately curated using misleading footage sourced from online platforms to construct a false narrative aimed at causing panic, inciting public fear, and undermining public confidence in the security architecture of the nation’s capital.
In furtherance of its commitment to maintaining public order, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested one Pam Joseph in connection with the creation and dissemination of the false content. The arrest followed credible intelligence and digital forensic investigations linking the suspect to the origin and circulation of the video.
The Force reiterates that while citizens have the right to freedom of expression, such rights do not extend to the deliberate spread of misinformation capable of threatening public peace and national security. Members of the public are therefore advised to verify information before sharing and to refrain from engaging in activities that may incite fear or disorder.
Police
The suspect is currently in custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to safeguarding public order and national security, and will continue to monitor digital spaces and take decisive action against individuals who engage in the dissemination of false or misleading information.
DCP ANTHONY OKON PLACID psc(+) mni
Force Public Relations Officer
Force Headquarters, Abuja
10th April, 2026
EFCC Busts Yahoo Academy In FCT, Arrests 31 Suspects
Yahoo academy. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, April 9, 2026 arrested 31 suspected internet fraudsters in a sting operation at an internet fraud academy, situated in Becki Estate, Karu, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The suspects, comprising two kingpins and interns, were nabbed while undergoing internet fraud tutorials. Items recovered from them include phones, 18 laptop computers and other gadgets.
Investigation by the EFCC revealed that some of the interns were lured all the way from Benue State by the academy proprietors with the promise of job offers, but upon settling down at the facility, were handed communication devices, computers and software, setting the stage for their training in cyber fraud.
To enforce compliance and dedication, the proprietors house the recruits in the academy and restrict their movements strictly within the perimeters of the facility and forcibly took possession of their mobile phones, thus totally cutting them off from the outside world.
EFCC Busts Yahoo Academy In FCT
Furthermore, corporal punishment was the order of the day, with heavy-handed physical assault meted out to interns who were seen to be recalcitrant.
The suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
Tinubu Must Go: ADC’s Atiku, Obi, Others Stage #OccupyINEC Protest In Abuja
Tinubu must go. ADC leaders, including Atiku Abubakar, Mr Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola and others, were at INEC office in Maitama, Abuja.
Leaders and supporters of the African Democratic Congress marched in protest to the Independent National Electoral Commission office in Abuja to protest the derecognition of the party’s leaders.
This came hours after former presidential candidate Peter Obi rallied Nigerians on Wednesday to support the opposition’s fight against attempts to make Nigeria a one-party state.
ADC leaders, including Atiku Abubakar, Mr Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola and others, were seen with other protesters gathered at the INEC office in Maitama, Abuja.
The protesters, who held placards with various inscriptions, were seen chanting ‘Tinubu Must Go’.
The protest followed INEC’s decision to remove Messrs Mark and Aregbesola as leaders of the ADC, citing a Court of Appeal judgment.
The ruling party declared that heaven would not fall if INEC barred ADC from participating in the 2027 elections.
The opposition party alleged on Monday that INEC plotted to stop the ADC from fielding candidates in the 2027 elections, accusing President Bola Tinubu of plotting to contest the presidential election unchallenged.
Tinubu Must Go
The party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the allegation was based on documentary evidence, including certified INEC records, attendance logs, monitoring reports, and excerpts from the commission’s affidavit.
Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress insisted the crisis in ADC was self-inflicted, accusing ADC of being desperate for power.
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