ThE Independent National Electoral Commission INEC through its National Commissioner & Chairman on information and voter’s education, Festus Okoye has said that the rationale behind the frequent attacks on the commission’s facilities across the country still remain undefined.
Okoye made this known on Monday in a statement issued by the Resident commissioner in Imo state Prof Sylva Uchenna which was made available to newsmen.
PRESS RELEASE
ATTACK ON OUR STATE HEADQUARTERS IN IMO STATE
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 3.00am today 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 1st December 2022 and Oru West LGA office on Sunday 4th December 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, the reason for the attack ,we don’t know more so on the day that the collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) commences nationwide ahead of the 2023 General Election.
Festus Okoye Esq.
National Commissioner & Chairman
Information and Voter Education Committee
Monday 12th December 2022
