Again, gunmen kill two policemen, cart away AK-47 rifles in Abia, raze INEC HQs in Enugu
Those behind attacks on security agencies and government establishments in the southeast appeared relentless, as some hoodlums yesterday, killed two policemen in an early morning attack at the Ubakala Police station in Umuahia South council area of Abia State.
The bandits also carted away two rifles belonging to the slain policemen. Earlier, hoodlums attacked the state headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Enugu State, setting the foyer and six vehicles ablaze, while destroying two other vehicles. In Abia, it was gathered that the bandits razed the main building of the police station, five patrol vans, six exhibit vehicles, motorcycles and tricycles parked at the station.
Effort to get the reaction of the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, was not successful as at the time of filing this report. 8 vehicles destroyed as hoodlums attack Enugu INEC HQ The INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye disclosed the Sunday attack on their office in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja.
“Last night, Sunday 16th May 2021, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, for Enugu State, Emeka Ononamadu, reported an attack on the state headquarters office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Enugu”, Okoye stated. According to him, “some unidentified persons overpowered the security personnel on duty around 9pm and tried to set the entire building ablaze.
“The attention of the security agencies as well as the federal and state fire services in Enugu was drawn to the unfolding situation and they responded swiftly.
“The attackers set the foyer ablaze, vandalised some offices in the main building and caused extensive damage to some of the commission’s movable assets within the premises. “Six utilility pick-up vehicles (Toyota Hilux) were burnt down while two more were smashed and damaged. The security agencies who were at the scene have commenced investigation. “As we categorically mentioned in our earlier statements, the spate of attacks on the Commission’s facilities portends danger to national electoral activities.
“The Commission is holding an emergency meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs on Wednesday 19th May 2021 and further statement will be released ahead of another emergency meeting with heads of all the security agencies in the country under the auspices of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security ICCES”, Okoye added.
Last week, the INEC office in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State was set ablaze. Before then, there was the destruction of the office in Essien Udim LGA of Akwa Ibom State on 2nd May 2021. This was followed by the fire at the Ohafia LGA office in Abia State on 9th May 2021. Vanguard
