DDC machines stolen at Lagos airport
Nigeria is a pure joke

The porous nature of the nation’s airports has again been laid bare as some of the Direct Data Capture machines for the registration of voters for the 2011 elections were allegedly stolen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

Sources at the airport, who made this known to our correspondent on Wednesday, did not give the number of units that was stolen. But they said the incident took place on Monday night at the Cargo Terminal of MMIA.

They also claimed that the machines were awaiting clearance by Independent National Electoral Commission agent when the theft took place.

The Spokesman for the Airport Command of the Nigerian Police Force, Mr. Benedict Ifeanyi, confirmed the incident.

He said the police and other security agencies had commenced an investigation into the matter.

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company, the ground handling firm which offloaded the cargo, was yet to make official report on the incident as at 10pm on Wednesday.

He said, “As at now, I can’t tell you the quantity that was stolen, neither will I be able to tell you who was and who was not on duty and not on duty when the incident happened.

“We can’t tell now whose fault it is whether it was the Nigeria Customs Service or the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria or the airline or the ground handling firm. All that will be determined when NAHCO makes an official report.”

Our correspondent gathered that the Nigerian Customs Service Area Comptroller, Military Airport Commandant and the Director of the State Security Service were at the Cargo Terminal on Wednesday to examine the remaining machines at the ramp.

An indigenous Information Technology company, Zinox Technologies Limited, had brought in 14,000 units of the DDC machines from China and Dubai, on Sunday.

The quantity is part of the 80,000 units of the electronic equipment the company was given contract to supply by INEC.

Two other companies— Haier Electrical Appliances Corporation of China and Avante of United States— also won contracts to supply 30,000 and 22,000 units respectively .

Efforts by our correspondent to get the clearing agent, identified as Services Solutions Limited, to comment on the alleged theft of the machines were not successful.

An official at the Cargo Terminal of the MMIA, who pleaded anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, also confirmed that some of the DDC machines had been stolen.

He said, “Three shipments have arrived so far. The first one arrived earlier. The second one arrived on Sunday evening while the third one came in at about 5:10am on Monday morning.

“We arrived office on Tuesday morning and discovered that some parts of the last two shipments had been removed.”

It was gathered that the equipment were offloaded by NAHCO Plc and that Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited was to warehouse them pending their clearance.

The NAHCO spokesperson , Ms Bekky IJyuse, who also confirmed the incident , said that although the company (NAHCO) offloaded the DDC machines, the agent decided to give it to SAHCOL to warehouse.

She said it was the responsibility of SAHCOL to liaise with the NCS on what happened to the cargo after they were cleared.

SAHCOL’s spokesman, Mr. Basil Agboarumi, however, said that the company (SAHCOL) did not take possession of the two shipments that were tampered with.

According to him, the first set of DDC machines that came in were still safe in the warehouse of the company.

He added, “Whatever happened, happened at the ramp.The first shipment that came in was brought into our warehouse, and nothing happened to it.

“But the other two shipments which were said to have been poached from the ramp ‘happened’ at the ramp, which is not our jurisdiction. That is the jurisdiction of FAAN. We don’t know anything about that.”

It was gathered that Customs officials at the airport said that their Area Comptroller had to give clearance before sensitive goods like the DDC machines could be cleared.

The NCS spokesman at the MMIA, Mr. Saturday Odum, said that the Customs was always interested in any goods coming into the country.

“The goods in questions are at the tarmac, and if anything had happened to them, they happened at the ramp,” he said.

Airline and ground handling officials at the terminal, however, said the problem was caused by the porous nature of security at the airport in general.

One of them said, “There is no control at the ramp there. Anything can happen. It is like the case of a market square. People steal things here any how. It is because this one has to do with election materials that it raising dust.”

When our correspondent contacted the General Manager, Public Affairs, FAAN, Mr, Akin Olukunle, over the theft, he said he would get back. As at the time 10.30pm he was yet to do so.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101209573415

the election hasn't even started and Direct data caputring machines are missing already. . .why should i be surprised that names like Sara Palin kept coming up in our voters registers



I dey laugh oooooooo!

UP NAIJA, THIS IS A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE OF ''GOOD ELECTION'' ABI WETIN WE FOR CALL AM?
WHAT IS REALY GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY? WHO KNOW WHERE THE MACHINES ARE NOW?
THIS HAS DEPLETED THE CREDIBILITY OF THE ELECTION ALREADY BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO STOLE THE MACHINE WILL BE BUSY REGISTERING PEOPLE NOW.
WHERE ARE WE GOING?

Data capturing machines captured! , Only in Nigeria

Our problems are just too complex, the bad elements in this society will never back off. 11 years of PDP rule and security is still in a pathetic state,  

Is Nigeria still on the world map? I am just afraid if the whole country does not get lost one day.

If Two Ships can get missing in the Navy's custody then this one na small matter. Naija i hail thee! A land where impossible is nothing.

There goes our free and fair elections! Who were they kidding anyways?

I dey laugh o.

Only in Naija, you arrest the arrester.

I like this country I no go lie.

This is a welcome development.

An indigenous Information Technology company, Zinox Technologies Limited, had brought in 14,000 units of the DDC machines from China and Dubai, on Sunday

What is INDIGENOUS  about  ZINOX TECHNOLOGIES when they have to import  14,000 units of the DDC machines from China and Dubai.

Now some of the DDC  machines are missing.

LOL in Efik .

NIGERIA WE HAIL THEE!!!!

i laugh, laugh so tey my laugh come dey laugh. very soon now, u go dey hear say DDC Machine for sale, buy one and become chairman, buy 10 and become governor, buy pelnty and become president lol. i respect nigeria

"Ddc Machines Stolen At Lagos Airport"
2011 election rigging contest just started,

"PDP chairman Anounce automatic ticket for Reps"
It is called 'Level Playing field'


We dey watch!

pdp - power
pdp - power
p d and pppppppp - power to the criminals.

in 2007, 6 inec machines were found in late adedibu's house and nothing was said or done about that till date.
if the machines are not in adedibu's house, then obasanjo knows were they are.
i don't believe anyone saying ddc machines were stolen rather the right statement shld be, ddc machines were taken from the airport.
if any man or woman is expecting anything different from our usual do or die affairs come 2011, that one will need a serious maleria treatment.

pdp - power
pdp - power
p d and pppppppppppppppp - power to the criminals.

i will be waiting to hear jonathan tell us his intention to privatise INEC

i dey laughoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Deep Soul:

Na wa! In as much as there's a serious security lapse in the country, let's not blame this on security. Atleast not entirely.

Firstly, Im sure those who were given the contract for the machines, inflated the cost as is the norm. That's Strike 1.
Now, after inflating the cost, they have decided to claim their possession. They have most likely "settled" all those so-called airport security officials.

I'm wondering what the main aim for this theft is.

Is it to:

a) Resell the machines?
b) Capture their own data directly? (another form of rigging)
c) Sabotage efforts being made to have a free and fair election so as to have a smoother rigging process
d) "Expose" the ineffectiveness of the Jonathan administration??

Whatever the reasons, this has further increased my pessimism about the development of Nigeria. Just when I thought I had reached the height of pessimism, it gets worse!  

The main reason will be facilitate smoother rigging in 2011, we all know the party that rigs most. I won't be surprised if PDP is behind this.

What a doomed country

I love this country

crap!! So Michael Jackson and Nelson Mandela will still register for this election again?!
One would have thought the sensitive nature of the cargo alone would ensure extra security @ the airport even if security was lax before. This is another shining light on our inefficiencies.
Still can't believe this happened @ the premier port of entry into the country.

Zinox spokesman Echika Ezuka said: “What was stolen are parts that have not been assembled by Zinox and since the number is negligible, it will not affect our delivery time to INEC.”

[color=#000099]This guy is missing the point, what this means is that the thieves can now assemble their own DDC machines, and when that is done, shikena, election don finish be that.

I think INEC should be held responsible for this theft, simply because they have failed to make sure that adequate security is provided for the machines, before they are cleared from the port.

Believe  it or not, this is a big blow to INEC's preparation for next year polls.[/color]

Oya boys, centre don open for ma yard. Come make we begin the capture. Book early to avoid Christmas rush oh. !!!

Up PDP thank you for not disappointing me. I have always known that nothing good or sincere can come from you guys it is even shameful,ANNOYING and most embarrassing that a group of unrepentant, unintelligent sycophants who were just fortunate to make it by hook or crook to the corridors of power will continue to insult our intelligence in this country I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THIS. I read in the papers today that pdp legislators were given an automatic ticket to return to the house, whatever happened to our votes . And I think it is time to vote these vagabonds out of power, besides the party has too much undeserved power that is why they run the country like their household. NIGERIANS, DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE SENTIMENTS THESE DECEIVERS ARE DROPPING ON YOUR PLATES, JONATHAN OR NO JONATHAN PDP IS RULING THE COUNTRY AND HE MUST DO THEIR BIDDING WHETHER HE LIKES IT OR NOT. the reason why we are still in this condition is because they know our soft spots and work on it, they sell a bogus agenda to us and we take the bait hook,line and sinker IF WE DONT STAND UP AGAINST THIS, ANOTHER FOUR YEARS OF BRIGANDAGE,DECEIT,PLUNDERING,EXECUTIVE RASCALITY, DEGENERATION AND SUFFERING IN THE MIST OF PLENTY AWAITS NIGERIANS VOTE THESE MEDIOCRE PARTY OUT IF YOUR VOTE WILL COUNT.

If you bring a crime-bursting robots to Nigeria, in less than 24hrs - they will be stolen. Damm

my country i hail thee.we no de cari last!

THE NIGERIAN POLITY IS FULL OF UNIMAGINABLE ACTS FROM THE LEADERS TO THE FOLLOWERS, THIS IS BECAUSE WE THE FOLLOWERS NEEDS TO B RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO CALL THE BLUFF OF THIS OPULENT AND INSANE LEADERS,
THIS hell bound PARTY CALLD People Deceive People wil stil maintains its hegemony ova Nigerian politics in so far as Nigerians stil slumber in their unpatriotic ways, Iv not seen one tangible thing GEJ has done evasince he got to d aso rock, The Educational, Banking, Transport, Health, Infrastructure, Power etc remains in shambles, Late Yaradua's 71/2 points agenda was nt achieved, while as an agendaLESS president, he doesnt knw wat direction to face and my WONDERFUL Naija people stil blv in ds Toy of a president, THE EXISTENCE OF MINORITY ELITES IN EVRY POLITY IS INEVITABLE BUT Y dont we thnk outside d pdp circle for once and gv Vibrant Candidates a chance, wit ds d Hegemonic power of the pdp will b broken and THIS WIL SERVE AS CHECKS AND BALANCE ON THEMSELVES, thus, THEY WIL COMPETE THROUGH PERFORMANCE TO WIN D HEART OF D PEOPLE:.
Atiku+Jonah-tank+bOOhARRY+IndpendncBombBlast=pdp breeds.
I BELIEVE IN A NEW NIGERIA! I BELIEVE EVERYTHNG WIL FALL TO PLACE, [color=#990000][/color]

Walaha Dey O!, election neva start machine don begin miss already! hope say no be indication say our votes too go miss

2makesense:

Walaha Dey O!, election neva start machine don begin miss already! hope say no be indication say our votes too go miss

Your votes won't miss, just that the Micheal Jackson and Nelson Mandelas registered with the stolen machines will also vote. You can imagine how many such ghost voters will be.

we will continue to be expose to hoodlums as a nation until the fed govt upgrade the security system.


an international airport without a  surveillance camera is as good as no airport.

Nigeria is so sickening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
while this news is disheartening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How can something of national importance be handled with so much brevity, leaving zinox to import and all that?
total RUBBISH!!!

It is one thing to steal a data capture machine, it another thing to use it to rig election.

Data captured by the DDC data capture machine has to be stored in a database (possibly centralized). Secondly voter's will need to be verified before the actual voting. And in case of dispute, the finger print (or other biometrics) can always be matched against captured data.

My point is that stealing DCC machine may have little impact or no impact on the elections proper if voters defend the votes.