The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that its office in Enugu south LGA was attacked by gunmen who also killed one of two police officers guarding the facility.
Another police officer was injured in the attack and is receiving treatment.
INEC national commissioner and chairman, of the information and voter education committee, Festus Okoye, in a statement on Monday revealed that the resident electoral commissioner (REC) for Enugu, Chukwuemeka Chukwu,
informed the commission about the attack which happened around 9:12 pm on Sunday.
Okoye said the attackers razed down the security gatehouse of the facility but failed to gain access to the main building following “rapid response from the police and army personnel”.
He said, “The State Commissioner of Police and the REC were personally at the scene immediately they received information about the attack,” the statement read.
“The Commission prays for the repose of the soul of the deceased policeman and the speedy recovery of the injured.
“The attack is being investigated by the security agencies. Furthermore, a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in Enugu State co-chaired by the REC and the Commissioner of Police has been convened to discuss the latest incident and design additional strategies for fortifying the offices and protecting the personnel and materials.
“Meanwhile, the destroyed gatehouse will be rebuilt, and the Commission is proceeding with its preparations for the 2023 General Election in Enugu State and the entire country as scheduled.”
Barely a month ago, the INEC office in Isu LGA of Imo state was vandalized by unknown persons.
Eight windows were broken and burglary proofs removed during the attack - the fourth on INEC facilities in Imo state, after the attacks on Orlu and Oru West LGA offices, and INEC Headquarters in Owerri.
Politics and Opinion.
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