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Segun Adewole
Published 10 May 2021
The office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State has been set ablaze.
This happened on Sunday night days after the Commission’s office in Akwa Ibom was set ablaze by unknown men.
The incident was confirmed by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Dr. Joseph Iloh, when the Commission met today to discuss a wide range of issues.
A statement issued by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye Esq, revealed that the attack is not the first the Commission has suffered in the state in recent times.
This is happening a week after one of the commission’s offices in Akwa Ibom was razed.
by SaharaReporters, New York
May 10, 2021
The Independent National Electoral Commission office in the Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia state has been set ablaze.
In a statement on Monday, INEC s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, stated that the incident occurred on Sunday night.
This is happening a week after one of the commission’s offices in Akwa Ibom was razed–Sunday, May 2, exactly a week before the fresh arson attack.
The cause of the fire incident had yet to be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.
The Abia REC also confirmed the ugly incident to
Channels Television, adding that INEC staff with the help of a local vigilante group made efforts to put out the fire.
While noting that no life was lost, the REC appealed to security operatives to up their game and assist in protecting INEC offices.
“I do not know why the attack on the office, last week, Department of State Services(DSS) and security operatives circulate information about pending attacks on Federal government offices,” he said.
“I quickly direct all Electoral officers (EO) to disclose the information to their local government Chairmen to assist to set up a local vigilante group to guide the offices, then on Sunday night, the unknown hoodlum set the INEC prototype office ablaze.
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The Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC has reported yet another fire incident at one of its offices in Abia State.
Confirming the latest incident, Barrister Festus Okoye, National Commissioner & Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, said in a statement, Monday that, “The Resident Electoral Commissioner for the State, Dr. Joseph Iloh, reported that INEC’s recently renovated office in Ohafia Local Government Area has been set ablaze.
Okoye said, “The incident occurred late on Sunday night, 9th May 2021. There are no casualties on the part of our staff on guard duty but the building was virtually destroyed. Apart from furniture items, all electoral materials and office equipment were destroyed.”
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Barely a week after hoodlums set ablaze its office in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has again suffered a fresh attack on its property. Its office in Ohafia Local Government Area in Abia State which was renovated recently has been set ablaze.
A statement signed by the National Commissioner & Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye, which was made available to newsmen in Abuja disclosed that the incident occurred late on Sunday night.
While it clarified that there were no casualties on the part of its staff on guard duty, the statement expressed regret that “the building was virtually destroyed. Apart from furniture items, all electoral materials and office equipment were destroyed. The matter has been reported to the police for investigation.”