INEC office attacked in Imo — fourth incident in three weeks

The office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Isu LGA of Imo state has been attacked.

Festus Okoye, INEC’s commissioner for information and voter education, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

The development is the latest in a series of recent attacks on INEC facilities across the country, which has also seen the commission’s offices in Osun, Ogun, Ebonyi, and other Imo LGAs set ablaze.

Thousands of permanent voter cards (PVCs), ballot boxes, and other election materials have been destroyed in previous attacks.

Okoye said Sylvia Agu, the resident electoral commissioner for the state, reported to the commission that the Isu office was vandalised in the early hours of Tuesday.

“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,” the statement reads.

“However, as a precautionary measure, critical materials such as ballot boxes and voting cubicles have been evacuated to another INEC facility for safekeeping.

“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.”