The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that none of the critical election materials was destroyed in the attack on its State Headquarters office in Owerri, the Imo State capital on Monday.
The Commission in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Card Education Committee Chairman, Festus Okoye also confirmed that there were no casualties involving staff of the Commission in the incident which he said occurred at about 3.00 am on Monday.
However, the statement said 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.
INEC confirmed that this is the 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.
The Commission described the incident as yet another systematic attack targeted at its 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.
Earlier, Channels Television reported that four persons including one policeman had been killed in an attack that was repelled by the police on the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) along Port Harcourt Road in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
According to the Spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command, Mike Abattam, the gunmen numbering over 10 came around 3:00 am with petrol bombs and dynamite.
He, however, said the hoodlums were confronted by security operatives who repelled the attack and killed three of the attackers.
Abattam also said one of the attackers was arrested by the police and three vehicles used by hoodlums were recovered.
