From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has lamented three successive systematic attacks on its offices and facilities in Imo State.
It announced that though no critical election materials were destroyed or any casualties involving staff of the commission recorded, one official utility vehicle (a Toyota Hilux pickup van) was however burnt.
The statement signed by National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, the commission lamented that it is happening on the day the collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) commenced nationwide ahead of the 2023 General Election.
“The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Imo State, Professor Sylvia Uchenna Agu, has reported that our State headquarters office in Owerri was attacked by unknown gunmen. The incident occurred at about on Monday 12th December 2022.
“The attack affected the part of the building occupied by the Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) Department and one official utility vehicle (a Toyota Hilux pickup van) was burnt.
“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, December 1, 2022 and Oru West LGA office on Sunday, December 4, 2022.
“Our Imo State Headqurters is located in the centre of the Owerri, the State capital, between a court and the State secretariat.
“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,” the statement read