The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed the attack on its headquarters in Imo State.
The Star had reported that gunmen, in the early hours of Monday, set ablaze the INEC headquarters along Owerri-Port Harcourt Road in Imo State.
The headquarters is located between a court and the state secretariat in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
Speaking on the incident via statement issued on Monday, the commission’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said the attack affected the part of the building occupied by the Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) Department, adding that one official utility vehicle (a Toyota Hilux pickup van) was burnt.
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Okoye noted that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Imo State, Prof. Sylvia Uchenna Agu, reported that the electoral umpire’s headquarters was attacked by gunmen at about 3 a.m.
“The response of the security and emergency services (the Fire Service) curtailed further damage to the building and other assets of the Commission. No critical election materials were destroyed. There were also no casualties involving staff of the Commission.
“This is third attack on the Commission’s facilities in Imo State in less than two weeks following the earlier attacks on our Orlu LGA office on Thursday, 1st December 2022 and Oru West LGA office on Sunday 4th December 2022.
“This is therefore yet another systematic attack targetted at the Commission’s assets across the country, more so on the day that the collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) commences nationwide ahead of the 2023 general election,” he added.
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