Gunmen have attacked the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Enugu south LGA.
TalkGlitz learned the attack happened in the late hours of Sunday.
The attack was disclosed in a statement by the INEC national commissioner and chairman, of the information and voter education committee, Festus Okoye.
The incident is coming less than a month after the INEC office in Isu LGA of Imo state was attacked.
Several attacks on INEC facilities across the country, including in Osun, Ogun, and Ebonyi, have also been recorded in recent times.
Okoye said the resident electoral commissioner (REC) for Enugu, Chukwuemeka Chukwu, informed the commission that the facility was attacked around 9:12 pm on Sunday.
Okoye said although the security gatehouse of the office was razed, the attackers could not gain access to the main building due to the “rapid response from the police and army personnel”.
He said one of two police officers deployed to protect the facility was killed while another officer sustained injuries and is receiving treatment.
“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,” the statement read.
“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.”
Okoye said the incident is under investigation by security agencies, adding that 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 map out strategies to better protect INEC offices, 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,” Okoye’s statement further noted.
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