The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday, confirmed the fire outbreak at its office in the Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

INEC, in a statement issued by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, disclosed that the inferno occurred at about 11pm on Monday.

Okoye noted that the commission’s building was extensively damaged, adding that many fixed and movable office furniture were destroyed in spite of the effort of the Zamfara State Fire Service to contain the fire.

He added that critical materials such as Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) and registration machines for the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in the state were saved.

He stated: “The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Zamfara State, Professor Sa’idu Babura Ahmed, has reported that our office in Kauran Namoda Local Government Area was gutted by fire.

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“The tragic incident occurred at about 11.00pm on Monday 2nd May 2022. No casualties were reported while critical materials such as Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) and registration machines for the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise stored in fireproof cabinets were saved.

“However, the building was extensively damaged. A number of fixed and movable office furniture were destroyed in spite of the best effort of the Zamfara State Fire Service to contain the inferno.

“The attention of the Nigeria Police has been drawn to this incident. Together with the Fire Service, they have commenced investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire and advise the Commission for further action,” Okoye noted.

The Star