Nigeria Police Force Investigates Midnight Fire Incident at Enugu State INEC Office

Nigeria Police Force Investigates Midnight Fire Incident at Enugu State INEC Office

- A midnight fire incident has affected parts of an INEC office in Udenu local government area of Enugu state

- The police has swung into action and immediately commenced investigation into the incident

- INEC offices around the country have at various times, witnessed fire outbreaks

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The commissioner of police in Enugu, Mohammed Aliyu, has ordered an investigation into the fire outbreak at the Obollo-Afor office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state.

Aliyu also directed the cordoning off of the scene for a thorough probe to further ascertain the actual cause of the fire outbreak and damages incurred.

The spokesman of the Enugu state police command, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria and published by The Nation newspaper on Friday, May 14.

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Nigeria Police Force Investigates Midnight Fire Incident at Enugu State INEC Office
Professor Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC is yet to react to the fire incident. Photo credit: @inecnigeria
Source: Twitter

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Ndukwe said that the fire incident which happened at the facility located in Udenu local government area of the state, occurred on Thursday, May 13, at about 9.40 p.m.

Part of the statement read:

“Police operatives attached to the division immediately raced to the scene while contacting Enugu state fire service office in the area to promptly put off the fire.
“Preliminary investigation suggests that the fire may have been caused by a power surge due to sudden power supply to the building before the incident occurred.’’

Leadership newspaper reports that the combined effort of the state fire service, residents, and security agents prevented the fire from touching other offices.

Recall that the INEC office in Essien Udim local government area of Akwa Ibom state was recently set ablaze by unknown assailants.

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After razing INEC's office, NDLEA's building, gunmen torch another police station in Abia

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Barrister Mike Igini confirmed the incident which occurred on Sunday, May 2.

The inferno destroyed 345 ballot boxes, 135 voting cubicles, megaphones, water tanks, and office furniture.

In the year 2020, a section of INEC's complex in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja was gutted by fire.

The director of publicity and voter education of the INEC, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, confirmed the incident.

Meanwhile, about four weeks before the conduct of the Ondo state governorship election in 2020, the office of the INEC in Akure was in flames.

INEC in a statement revealed that the fire broke out at its head office in Akure and the inferno gutted the container housing smart card readers.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Jerrywright Ukwu avatar

Jerrywright Ukwu Jerrywright Ukwu is an Abuja-based senior political/defence correspondent. He is a graduate of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos and the International Institute of Journalism in Abuja. He is also a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists. He spends his leisure-time reading history books. He can be reached via email at jerrywright39@yahoo.com.