HOODLUMS have set ablaze the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, destroying, among others, 340 ballot boxes and yet to be determined quantity of Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVCs.
The attack is the third on INEC’s local government offices in less than three weeks, following similar attacks in Ogun and Osun states on November 10, 2022.
Egalitarian Voice News gather in a statement disclosed by the INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, yesterday.
He said the Ebonyi Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mrs. Onyeka Ugochi, reported that the commission’s Izzi Local Government Area office, located in Iboko, was set ablaze, yesterday morning.
The incident occurred around 10.00am when some unidentified persons set the entire building ablaze,” said Okoye.
He said 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.
“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies has been drawn to the incident and have commenced investigation,” said Okoye.
Uyo—People of riverside
communities of Adiadia and Issiet Ekim, in Uruan Local Government Area of Àkwa Ibom State, are in mourning mood, following the invasion and killing of six persons by sea pirates.
Besides, houses were razed at Issiet Ekim and a phone shop was looted at Adiadia, making residents desert the communities.
A resident said: “The Issiet community is deserted. We leave the community at 6 pm and only return in the morning. We live in fear, but we are assured that security will be beefed up with the establishment of security posts in the two communities,” a source said.
Meanwhile, Akwa Ibom state deputy governor, Moses Ekpo, has condoled with the people of the communities over the loss of lives and property in the attacks.
