Suspected arsonists yesterday set ablaze the Abeokuta, Ogun State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
It was that the perpetrators, numbering about eight, having scaled the fence of the building committed the act by soaking soaked bread in petrol, which they threw at different angles of the INEC office to set it ablaze from multiple points.
It was further gathered that the store, the Registration Area Officer’s office, and the conference room were part of areas affected by the fire.
While speaking on the development, the Ogun INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Niyi Ijalaye, confirmed the incident, which he described as shocking.
He said that the police had commenced investigation into the incidents, adding that the damage done by the fire was still being assessed.
“It is correct that our office was set on fire. The police are investigating. I do not know what to say. I’m in shock.
“We called the police and other security agencies at night. The fire brigade put the situation under control. The level of damage is still being assessed.
“It is very shocking and untoward. The security agencies are doing their very best. We are meeting again later today to come up with other strategies, toward securing our facilities”, he said.
In a related development, unknown assailants, yesterday, also set ablaze the office of the Commission in Ede South Local Government Area of Osun.
About 65,699 yet to be collected Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs were said to have been destroyed in the separate attacks on its offices in Ogun and Osun states.
INEC Spokesperson in Osun, Mrs Oluwaseun Osimosu, confirmed the attack to newsmen.
Osimosu said that the Resident Electoral Commission, REC, in the state, Dr Mutiu Agboke, had gone to the scene of the incident for an on-the-spot assessment, in company with the Divisional Police Office in Ede South Council Area.
Similarly, Mr Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, in a statement, said that the attack on INEC facility had been reported to the commission’s headquarters.
“The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun, Dr Mutiu Agboke, has reported that our office in Ede South Local Government Area was attacked and set ablaze.
“The incident occurred in the early hours of this morning, Thursday, when some unidentified persons attacked the building and set a portion of it ablaze.
“Fortunately, the damage to the facility was limited to a section of the building, while only some furniture was destroyed.
“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force and other security and safety agencies has been drawn to the incident and they have commenced investigation.
“With just 106 days to the 2023 general elections, when the commission has commenced the movement of materials to our offices nationwide, these attacks are very worrisome indeed”, he said.
Okoye, however, said that the commission would convene an emergency meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, on Friday to discuss what he called the disturbing trend.
Mr Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, in a statement, said that the attack on INEC facility had been reported to the commission’s headquarters.
AljazirahNigeria recalls that the Commission’s office in Anambra State was in May this year set ablaze by gunmen.
The gunmen then also attempted to attack the Police ‘B’ Divisional Headquarters close to the INEC office but were repelled by the operatives on duty.
The office of the electoral umpire and the police station are both located in Awka, the state capital, in South-east Nigeria.
The assailants had embarked on a mission to attack the police station to cause severe destruction, but it became an unsuccessful operation as the attempt was repelled by security operatives who engaged them in a fierce firefight, killing two of them in the process.
Although police authorities in the state confirmed the killing of two of the assailants during the gun battle, there was no information on whether or not any security operative was killed.
Eyewitnesses also said three Hilux vans fully packed with armed men stormed the police station and opened fire for more than one hour. In the past two years, at least 41 offices of the electoral commission, INEC, have been attacked across Nigeria by armed non-state actors.
Also in the last two years, INEC offices were either attacked or set ablaze, the data on the attacked offices were obtained on INEC platform.
The attacks occurred in 14 states between February 2019 and May 2021.
Imo State topped the log with the most attacks during the period under review.
“These are attacks as a result of election-related violence, protests unrelated to elections and activities of thugs and unknown gunmen”, INEC chairman, Mahmud Yakubu, said.
“The list does not include damages to facilities as a result of fire accidents, natural disasters such as flooding or rain/windstorms, the snatching/destruction of electoral materials during elections, burglary and attack on election duty officials”, he added.
According to INEC, most of the attacks on its facilities were orchestrated by hoodlums and unknown gunmen, while some were results of post-election violence and thuggery during elections.
The commission said there were 18 attacks on its facilities during the EndSARS protests last year and 11 attacks carried out by gunmen.
Similarly, there were six incidents of thuggery during elections and four incidents in post-election violence, INEC said.
Describing the nature of the attacks, INEC said 20 cases of vandalization and 18 arsons occurred during the period. It also categorised three incidents as “arson and vandalization.”
Of the total number of incidents, the commission said 21 attacks occurred last year across nine states. This year, assailants have staged 11 attacks across seven states.
Meanwhile, nine incidents occurred in four states during and after the general election in 2019. On February 3, 2019, arsonists attacked an INEC office in Orlu local government after a court ordered a rerun election in Imo State.
Also on February 22, 2019: Arsonists set 12 election duty vehicles ablaze at INEC office in Obot Akara local government of Akwa Ibom State.
The same happened on February 23, 2019, thugs attacked INEC office at Oriade LGA of Osun State.
February 24, 2019: In a post-election violence, arsonists attack the commission’s office at Isiala Mbano local government of Imo State and the latest being in Ogun and Osun States.
