ATTACKERS TORCH INEC OFFICE, DESTROY 748 BALLOT BOXES
The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC ) building in Igboeze North Local Government Area office in Enugu state has been attacked.
The National Commissioner of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye confirmed the attack.
According to him, no casualties were reported but 748 ballot boxes, 240 voting cubicles and other equipment were destroyed.
In his words, “the arsonists overpowered the security guards, forced their way into the premises, and set the building ablaze”
He revealed that the commission was working to ascertain the status of voter registration machines for the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), as well as uncollected Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), locked up in the fireproof cabinet.
The Commissioner stated that the attack coming in the middle of the voter registration exercise and other preparations for the 2023 general elections is worrisome.
He recalled that on May 23, 2021, the INEC office in the neighboring Igboeze South Local Government Area was attacked in a similar manner by gunmen.
Other onslaughts he recollected were former attacks on the Udenu Local Government Area office on May 13, 2021, and the State Headquarters in Enugu on May 16, 2021.
Okoye revealed that the commission had since substantially recovered from the attacks and resumed normal activities in the places mentioned, including the CVR and collection of PVCs.
He assured that the commission would continue to work with the security agencies and the emergency services to protect the commission’s facilities.
The National Commissioner made it known that in this latest attack, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Enugu state, Emeka Ononamadu, reported that the office was set ablaze by yet-to-be-identified gunmen at 11.48 pm on Sunday
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