BREAKING: Gunmen bomb Imo INEC headquarters

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters along Owerri Port Harcourt road in Imo State came under heavy bombardment by gunmen in the early hours of Monday.

The gunmen threw grenades through the commission’s fence, destroying several offices and vehicles parked in the premises.

However, the police stationed at the INEC office engaged the gunmen in a heavy shootout, leaving three of the gunmen wearing charms and Biafra camouflages dead.

INEC public relations officer, Dr. Chinenye Chijioke-Osuji confirmed the attack to the newsmen.

Meanwhile,

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that none of the critical election materials was destroyed in the attack on its State Headquarters office in Owerri, the Imo State capital on Monday.

The Commission in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Card Education Committee Chairman, Festus Okoye also confirmed that there were no casualties involving staff of the Commission in the incident which he said occurred at about 3.00 am on Monday.

However, the statement said the attack affected the part of the building occupied by the Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) Department and one official utility vehicle (a Toyota Hilux pickup van) was burnt.

INEC confirmed that this is the third attack on the Commission’s facilities in Imo State in less than two weeks following the earlier attacks on our Orlu LGA office on Thursday 1st December 2022 and Oru West LGA office on Sunday 4th December 2022.

The Commission described the incident as yet another systematic attack targeted at its assets across the country, more so on the day that the collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) commences nationwide ahead of the 2023 General Election.