The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ibezimaka Aghanya, who disclosed the arrest of the assistant controller, said he was arrested at the Ogbadigbo Local Government Area where he was said to have committed the alleged offence.

Mr. Aghanya told the Nigerian Tribune that the police arrested of the assistant controller following a tip-off, but stated that he had refused to disclose who he sold the forms to.

During the monitoring of the census by the governor of Benue State, Chief George Akume, a controller at Ohinmini Local Government told the federal commissioner in Benue State, Mr. Peter Nayhe, who was on the entourage of the governor, that he received a report from the State Security Service (SSS) that the NPC 01 forms were being sold at Onyegede village in Ohinmini.

It was at that point that the federal commissioner raised the alarm on the suspected sale of forms in the area. The state commissioner of the NPC at an interactive session told the governor on Saturday night that one of his officers committed the act.

Similarly, Chairman of Tarka Local Government ara and Chairman of ALGON, Mar Barer Dzeremo, reported that his local government suffered adversely from the non-release of adequate forms.

Meanwhile, a female enumerator was killed by an Okada rider while conducting the ongoing headcount in Cross River State, chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Chief Samu’ila Makama, disclosed on Sunday.

Chief Makama, while briefing journalists on the situation reports from states across the federation, declared that the unfortunate enumerator would not be compensated because she was not covered by any insurance package.

Chief Makama also stated that the headcount was 95 per cent completed, adding that from expert’s assessment and reports on the field across the states of the federation, the exercise in most local government areas had been completed.

He pointed out that from situation reports in all the states, the earlier problems encountered in the course of the headcount had been surmounted as at Saturday.

Chief Makama stated that the census was going on and continuing smoothly and steadily, saying that everyone and every place must have been counted and covered 100 per cent by today.

He, however, expressed dismay at some reports in the media on the distribution of materials for the census, adding that such publications that still emphasised shortage of materials were not correct.

He said: “In spite of the explanations that have been offered on the reported shortage of materials and the steps taken by the commission so far, it is unfortunate that some media still publish incorrect information on the distribution of materials for the 2006 census.”

He explained that it was true that a shortage of materials, particularly form NPC 01, was reported in some states, but stated that the claims were verified and appropriate action taken to address it promptly.

Chief Makama said consignments of materials were sent to some of the states where the shortage of materials was proven. Chief Makama has also described as “illegal and unconstitutional, the parallel census being conducted by the Lagos State government.

He said it was unacceptable for Lagos State to conduct such an exercise.
Though, the NPC boss said he was yet to get such reports, he, however, stated that it was unconstitutional and would not be accepted.

According to him, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria gave the power to conduct census to the NPC alone, adding that there was no other agency or parastatal of government that was given such a power, not to talk of a state government.

The NPC chairman also debunked the allegation that the commission was working towards a specific target of figures which they expect to get at the end of the exercise.

In another development, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Commissioner of Police, Mr. Lawrence Alobi, has directed all Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) to ensure that suspects being detained in their cells are counted during the ongoing census.

Alobi gave the directive in Abuja on Sunday when he visited some police divisions in the territory to assess the security arrangement put in place for the census.

He told the DPOs that suspects being detained in their cells must be counted as they were part of the police community at the time of their detention.

Alobi said that the suspects were Nigerians, hence, they must be counted. “You must make adequate arrangement for the suspects to be enumerated outside the cells, do not deny them, because they have the right like any other Nigerian,” he directed the DPOs.

In all the areas visited, there was no report of breach of the peace and security in the territory since the exercise started on Tuesday. Commenting on the exercise, Alobi commended FCT residents for their continued support and cooperation to the command.