…. attack reaches four in less than three weeks.
THE office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Imo State has once again been met with attack by hoodlums.
The attack which took place on Tuesday was later disclosed in a terse statement on Wednesday issued and signed by Festus Okoye, the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee.
The hoodlums are said to have destroyed over seven windows in the office, carting away with burglary proofs, but, ballot boxes and other essential voting items were not stolen during the attack as they were moved another INEC building.
Also, according to Okoye, Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) that are yet to be collected were not destroyed or stolen.
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This attack takes the total number of attacks on INEC offices in Imo State to four.
Festus Okoye in the statement said that: “The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Imo State, Professor Sylvia Agu, has reported that our office in Isu Local Government Area office was attacked and vandalised. The incident occurred at the early hours of Tuesday, 20th December 2022.”
Speaking on the condition of things destroyed in the attack, Okoye added that “Eight windows were smashed, and burglary proofs removed. Fortunately, the attackers could not access the building. Movable and immovable equipment as well as other materials were not removed or vandalised.
“However, as a precautionary measure, critical materials such as ballot boxes and voting cubicles have been evacuated to another INEC facility for safe keeping.
“Similarly, all uncollected PVCs have been secured while security will be deployed to ensure the continuous collection of the cards by registered voters in the same premises.
“The incident has been reported to the Police and other security agencies for necessary action.
“This is the fourth attack on INEC facilities in Imo State in less than three weeks following previous attacks on Orlu and Oru West Local Government Areas and the State Headquarters in Owerri.”
