Crimes

PVCs, ballot boxes destroyed as hoodlums set INEC office ablaze

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says valuable items including ballot boxes, voting cubicles, and power generating sets were destroyed after an attack on its office in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said this via a statement issued on Sunday night.

Okoye stated that the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Onyeka Pauline Ugochi, reported that the office was set ablaze on Sunday morning by some unidentified attackers, noting that the incident occurred at about 10 a.m.

“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 (PVCs),” he said.

Okoye stated that the attention of the police and other security agencies have been drawn to the incident, saying an investigation has commenced.

“Sadly, this is the third attack on our LGA office in less than three weeks following similar attacks on our offices in Ogun and Osun on November 10,” he added.

The Star