‘50 incidents, 15 states’ — INEC details attacks on its offices in 4 years

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has recorded 50 incidents of attacks on its offices from 2019 to 2022.

According to data released by the commission on Friday, the states include Imo (11), Osun (7), Enugu (5), Akwa Ibom (5), Ebonyi (4), Cross River (4), and Abia (4).

Others are Anambra (2), Taraba (2), Kaduna (1), Borno (1), Bayelsa (1), Ondo (1), Lagos (1), and Ogun (1).

The data showed that the year in which the most number of incidents were recorded is 2020 with 22 attacks, followed by 2021 with 12, and 2019 and 2022 with eight attacks each.

In 2019, there were four attacks in Akwa Ibom, two in Imo, and one each in Bayelsa and Osun.

In 2020, there were five attacks in Osun, four in Cross River, four in Imo, three in Abia, two in Taraba, one in Anambra, one in Lagos, one in Ondo, and one in Borno.

In 2021, three attacks were recorded in Ebonyi, three in Enugu, two in Imo, one in Anambra, one in Abia, one in Kaduna, and one in Akwa Ibom.

Meanwhile, in 2022, three incidents have occurred in Imo, two in Enugu, and one each in Ebonyi, Ogun, and Osun.

INEC said in total, bandits and insurgents were responsible for one attack each; post-election violence for four; thuggery during elections for six; vandalisation during #EndSARS protests for 18, and gunmen or hoodlums for 20.

Also, 26 incidents were identified as vandalisations, 20 as arson, while four were identified as both.

The commission, however, said the list does not include damages to facilities as a result of fire accidents, natural disasters such as flooding or rain/wind storms, snatching/destruction of electoral materials during election, burglary, and attack on election duty officials.

The recent attacks on INEC offices have become a cause for concern, especially with the approaching elections.

Speaking on Friday when he appeared before the house of representatives ad hoc committee investigating attacks on the facilities of the commission, Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, said the conduct of the 2023 elections may be affected if the attacks on its offices continue.

He, therefore, called on security agencies to continue to provide safety around the facilities.