INEC office set on fire in Enugu State ahead of election

The office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in Enugu State has been set ablaze by unknown assailants.

The INEC office, situated at the council’s headquarters in Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State was set ablaze late Sunday night, June 3 after the criminals invaded the area.

It was gathered that the state fire service which has an office at Ogurute could not move in to save the situation for fear of further attacks until security was provided.

TopNaija understands that by the time security was provided, the fire had completely razed down the building.

Reporting, The Nation stated that the only thing two fire trucks from Nsukka and Ogurute were able to do was to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby offices.

According to a statement released Monday and signed by INEC’s National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, the attack on the office happened at 11:48pm on Sunday July 3, 2022.

The press release stated that the arsonists overpowered security guards in charge of the commission’s office, forced their way into the premises and burned down the building.

While noting that no casualties were reported in the attack, the commission stated that 748 ballot boxes and 240 voting cubicles, as well as office furniture and equipment, were destroyed by the arsonists.

The statement titled, ‘Attack on INEC office in Enugu State’, partly read, “The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Enugu State, M. Emeka Onanamadu, reported that our Igboeze North Local Government Area office was set ablaze by unknown arsonists. The attack happened at 11:48pm on Sunday 3rd July 2022.

The arsonists overpowered the security guards, forced their way into the premises and set the building ablaze. Although no casualties were reported, 48 ballot boxes, 240 voting cubicles, office furniture and equipment were destroyed in spite of the best effort of the Enugu State Fire Service deployed from Nsukka.”

The Commission is working to ascertain the status of voter registration machines for the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise as well as uncollected Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) locked up in the fireproof cabinet.”