Reported by: Febechukwu
With less then three (3) months to Nigeria's general elections, the conduct of the exercise may be under serious threat in Ebonyi State, one of the five (5) States in the Southeastern region of the country where a separatist agitation group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is largely operating.
Suspected hoodlums reportedly attacked the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State and set ablaze both buildings and electoral materials.
A statement released by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said the fire incident occurred around 10.00 am when some unidentified persons set the entire building ablaze with several Permanent Voters' Cards (PVCs) and other items destroyed.
“Although no casualties resulted from the attack, the main building and all the movable and immovable items inside it were destroyed. These include 340 ballot boxes, 130 voting cubicles, 14 electric power generators, large water storage tanks, assorted office furniture and fixtures, and yet-to-be-determined quantities of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs)".
Sunday morning's incident has been confirmed by both the Council Chairman of the Area, Emenike Nwankpa, and the Police in the State.
But, neither of the authorities was able to give details of the attack at the time they were contacted.
The INEC located at Iboko, the headquarters of Izzi Council Area had been set on fire in 2016 by yet to be uncovered arsonists.
The latest incident comes on the day the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba had ordered all Commissioners of Police in charge of Police Commands to fortify all facilities of INEC ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The Ebonyi State incident is the third attack on INEC Local Government offices in less than three weeks, following similar attacks in Ogun and Osun States on 10th November 2022.
