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

Who will want to steal all these chinese craps

i dey laugh o!

So I can see indeed that the election will be free and fair. Naija (sorry madam NAFDAC) Na wa ooo. If DDC machine can be kidnapped at the airport, then who is safe??

Hmnnnm. Desperadoes at work again!

@na2day!:

Who will want to steal all these chinese craps 

Uncle, you mean the same Chinese [i]crap [/i]decorating your house?

Look at the label stamped on any "crappy" technologies you have. If it doesnt works, it's prolly made in Aba. If it does, thank God we have China.

@Post
Wow. Anywaz.

To think that the guys that were protecting these machines at the airport are ostensibly better than the ones that'll guard the ballot boxes during the elections is just so sickening.

Kobojunkie:

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

Sharrraap jare! The same security agents under whose indolent nose the theft was effected or the FBI?

i laff in yoruba,i laff in ibo,i laff in hausa n i laff 9ja style(apologies madam akunyili). The plot is on,the stage set for a free n fair election. Scene 1 episode 1 season 1 dare devil men steal DDC machines. Lets watch as the plot thickens,d actors emerge ndialogue rolls out.nollywood this is a good story line

What do you expect? This is really a pathetic situation. I weep for this nation. How did it happen? What were the various security agencies involved in the clearing of the machines doing? I smell rat. Elections are billed to take place next year in April, but now the process of ringing has started and this in spite of the numerous promises made by Jonathan guaranteeing free and fair election. It will not be surprising to see the stolen machines ending up in the houses of chieftains of the ruling party and palaces of powerful traditional rulers and cabals. Be rest assured as usual that the stolen DDC machines will never be recovered. They are not even in a position to ascertain the number of units that have been stolen.At the end of the day majority of the electorates will not be registered as it happened last time. Voting starts from registering. If the vast majority of discerning Nigerians are not allowed or are prevented from registering to vote what comes out of the electoral process will be apathy and disenchantment. This is an eye opener to Jega led INEC that they need to re-strategize on how to ensure a free and fair election. The die hard and desperate politicians are not relenting. It is a do or die affair. When declaration has already been made by a prominent member of the ringing machinery who goes by the name Mr. Fix it that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock, it shows that the electoral process is an an exercise in futility. They have already decided in their coven who will be the president of this country

It’s just so saddened and sickened how things are done in my country, Naija despite all the securities and agencies at the airport DDC could still find it ways missing, how then do we have credible election in 2011, Now I dey look ooo

Something's fishy  perhaps an inside job.

Please remain calm, the election would be free and fair. And our airports are very secure.

Free and fair election starts with free and fair stealing of date capture machines. Its a sign of what to expect

must_a_far:

Please remain calm, the election would be free and fair. And our airports are very secure.

ROFLMAO!!! I wish we could learn how many of the $2000 machines were stolen.

This is what happens when Nigeria consistently step over local solutions that can solve our problems and go for foreign "GENERIC" solutions. Stealing generic solutions is good because you can use them for other purposes.

We have equipments that were designed to capture Picture, Fingerprints and other data. The data (passport,fingerprint and all) is then uploaded within 30 Seconds to a central server via an encrypted network link. In the same breath, the information is encrypted into a Chip embedded in a plastic ID Card that is printed out immediately. All within 10 minutes per person (provided that the needed information has been captured in previous stages by our data entry personnel)!

The failure of the National ID card made us do this. These equipment (with a battery life of 18hrs) were designed to do just this. So who wants to steal any of these without the Activation Codes that brings them to live?

I wish INEC luck on finding the missing equipment! And better luck with finding the culprits. I will not rule out some of our politicians in this matter even though the regular hungry man on the street can still do the crime since the missing equipments have several GENERIC (discrete) components.