Some suspected hoodlums in the early hours of Thursday, set on fire an office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at Iyana, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
It was gathered that the hoodlums, numbering about eight reportedly scaled the perimeter fence, jumped into the premises, and set the INEC building on fire from the back.
They were said to have soaked loaves of bread with petrol and thrown them into the building at different angles to light up the INEC office.
It was further gathered that a security guard at the facility, Azeez Hamzat, had made a distress call to the police around 1 am, alerting them of the fire incident.
It was learned that the police from the Ibara division were said to have mobilized detectives to the scene while contacting firefighters, who raced to the scene to put out the fire.
It was further gathered that the inferno affected the store, the Registration Area Officer’s office, and the conference room.
When contacted, the Ogun INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Niyi Ijalaye confirmed the incident, describing it as shocking.
The REC said the situation was still being assessed.
He said “It is correct that our office was set on fire. The police are investigating. I do not know what to say. I’m in shock myself.
“We called the police and other security agencies at night. The fire brigade put the situation under control. The level of damage is still being assessed.
“It is very shocking and untoward. Security agencies are doing their very best. We are meeting again later today to come up with other strategies (toward securing our facilities).”
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