Emeka Ononamadu, the state’s resident electoral commissioner (REC), reported the incident. He claimed that despite the Enugu State Fire Service’s best efforts to put out the fire, 748 ballot boxes, 240 voting cubicles, office furniture, and equipment were all destroyed.
He claimed that on July 3, 2022, at 11:48 p.m., an attack on the office occurred.
In the meantime, CP Abubakar Lawal, the commissioner of police for Enugu State Command, has directed the state CID to launch a comprehensive investigation into what caused the fire to erupt at the INEC office.
Part of the statement issued by the spokesman of the command, Daniel Ndukwe, read that at about 11pm, the fire was observed from the back of the building.
Ononamadu said the arsonists overpowered the security guards at the INEC office and forced their way into the premises and set the building ablaze.
Meanwhile, INEC national commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, confirmed the attack in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday.
He said, “The commission is working to ascertain the status of voter registration machines for the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise as well as uncollected Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) locked up in the fireproof cabinet.
“The incident has been reported to the Nigeria Police for investigation and further action.”
The attack, according to Okoye is coming in the middle of the voter registration exercise and other preparations for the 2023 general election, describing it as worrisome.
“It will be recalled that on May 23, 2021, our office in the neighbouring Igbo-Eze South local government area was attacked in a similar manner by unknown gunmen.
“This followed earlier attacks on Udenu local government area office on 13th May 2021 and the state headquarters in Enugu on 16th May 2021,” he said.
He said that the commission has subsequently made significant progress toward recovering from the attacks and has resumed routine activities, such as the CVR and PVC collection.
Ndukwe stated that the fire was extinguished by police officers who had been quickly dispatched to the area after receiving the information, with help from members of the Nsukka office of the Enugu State Fire Service, preventing further damage to the surrounding area.
