ONE police officer was killed in a shooting at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Enugu South Local Government Area.
“The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Enugu State, Dr. Chukwuemeka J. Chukwu, has reported that our office in Enugu South Local Government Area was attacked by unknown gunmen. The incident occurred around 9.12 pm yesterday, Sunday 15th January 2023,” INEC National Commissioner Festus Okoye said in a statement today.
“The security gatehouse was razed. Fortunately, the attackers could not gain access to the main building as a result of the rapid response from the Police and Army personnel from the 82 Division. The State Commissioner of Police and the REC were personally at the scene immediately after they received information about the attack. Of the two Policemen deployed to protect the facility, one of them lost his life while the other sustained injuries and is receiving treatment.”
He stated, that security agencies are looking into the incident and the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), which is co-chaired by the REC and the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, has been called to discuss it and develop plans for better safeguarding INEC offices, staff, 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,” Okoye’s statement further noted.
The attack on INEC offices in the South-East is just the most recent in a series of assaults.
Several security personnel have died as a result of the attacks. Other regions of the nation have had comparable instances as well.
The chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, stated in late December that 50 attacks had been reported in 15 states from 2019 until that point.
The electoral umpire, however, is optimistic and insists that the scheduled elections for 2023 will take place.
