The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it has commenced an investigation into the alleged extortion of registered voters in Enugu by one of its staff in the ongoing collection of Permanent Voter Cards.
Earlier, in a viral video seen by Truth Live News, an unidentified official of INEC was seen demanding money before issuing the Permanent Voter Cards to their owners.
The video showed a tall, fat woman who is said to be a staff of the commission and spoke partly in the Igbo language, telling the people to pay N1,000 each to collect their PVCs at at Emene primary school in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State where the incident occurred.
According to her, the money was for her transportation to the local government from where they were supposed to pick up their cards.
When confronted by some of the people there about the fact that they were not supposed to pay to collect their PVCs, and that ₦1,000 she demanded was high, she became annoyed and arrogantly asked them to go to the local government and collect their voter cards.
However,some registered voters appeared to have paid to collect their PVCs as they were heard thanking her.
Several of the voters around the area during the incident kept questioning her demand for money before they could be issued their voter cards, she resorted to verbal attacks. When threatened that she would be reported for indulging in an illegal act, she boasted that nothing could be done to her.
Reacting to the incident, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, on Monday morning said the Commission is investigating the matter, Punch reported.