The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State was gutted by fire at the weekend.
INEC Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday.
He disclosed that the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (INEC), Dr. Joseph Iloh, reported that the recently renovated office had been set ablaze late on Sunday night, 9th May 2021.
Okoye confirmed there are no casualties on the part of our staff on guard duty but the building was virtually destroyed.
Other than furniture, electoral materials and office equipment were also destroyed. The case has since been reported to the police for investigation.
Dr. Joseph Iloh, while confirming the ugly incident added that INEC staff with the help of a local vigilante group made efforts to put out the fire.
While noting that no life was lost, the REC appealed to security operatives to up their game and assist in protecting the Southeast.
He encouraged all Electoral officers (EO) to, henceforth, disclose security information to their local government Chairmen who can assist to set up local vigilante groups to guide the offices.
The commission lamented that the latest incident in Abia State is one too many, noting that another of its facility has been attacked in the south-eastern state in recent times.
The Commission would be convening an emergency meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) next week to discuss this disturbing trend.
Dr. Iloh reassures Nigerians in the region that all activities in relation to the ongoing expansion of voter access to Polling Units and preparations for the resumption of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) as well as all scheduled elections will proceed as planned.