The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, disowned a building in Abuja where engineers suspected to be hackers of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission were found.

Gbajabiamila denied possession of the building in a statement issued on Friday, which he personally signed.

The statement was titled ‘For the record: I do not own property on15 Ganges Street, Maitama, Abuja.’

It read, “A few days ago, while the collation process for the presidential election, which was held on Saturday, 25 February, 2023, was ongoing, social media posts made by some unscrupulous people suggested that some persons were arrested with electoral materials, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (machines) and that the property where the purported persons were arrested belongs to me.

“I wish to put it on record that I DO NOT own any property on15 Ganges Street, Maitama, Abuja. Besides, the Nigeria Police Force has debunked the news via a press release by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi," he said.

Gbajabiamila commended the police for their timely intervention and clarification on the matter.

“I urge the public to disregard the allegation that I own the said property. At a time when fake news gained public attention on social media within the shortest time, it became necessary to issue this press release to set the record straight; else some people among the public would believe such brazen lies spread by purveyors of fake news,” he said.

The Force PRO had in the said statement said the suspected hackers were engineers contracted by INEC.

Adejobi’s statement had partly read, “Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Bureau, acting on a tip from residents of an area in Maitama who reported suspicious activities, visited the location, interviewed the occupants, and conducted a search on the house. In the course of the search, some electoral materials and BVAS machines were discovered in their possession.

“However, the Independent National Electoral Commission, when contacted, confirmed that the occupants of the house are staff of Emperor Technology, outsourcing engineering services to the INEC, and they were immediately released to go about their lawful business.”(Courtesy, excluding headline, The PUNCH)