* Security Agencies Brace Up
There are fresh apprehensions over attacks on the facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission after arsonists touched two offices of the commission in the South-West region of the country on Thursday.
The commission had summoned an emergency meeting over the development after the attacks on the INEC offices in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital and Ede, in Osun State.
Findings by the NPO Reports reveal that there are new fears over possible orchestrated attacks on the facilities of the commission as part of the efforts to frustrate the elections slated for 2023.
Such attacks, NPO Reports recall, had been concentrated in the South-East geo-political zone with a sprinkle of it in the South-South.
Between 2019 and 2021, no fewer than 41 offices of the commission came under attacks in the South-East. Since then, other attacks had taken place while some officials of the commission had been killed while some were abducted.
Findings had revealed that Imo State had the highest cases of attacks on INEC facilities.
In Enugu State in July, attackers had destroyed about 748 ballot boxes while 240 cubicles were also destroyed at the Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Niyi Ijalaye, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, who confirmed the incident in Abeokuta said it was shocking that hoodlums would set the commission ablaze.
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.
It was also learnt that the hoodlums after invading the premises, soaked loaves of bread with petrol and threw same into the building at different angles to light up the INEC office.
A security guard at the facility identified as Azeez Hamzat had made a distress call to the police around 1am alerting them on the fire incident.
In Osun, the attackers had used the same method used in burning the INEC office in Abeokuta by throwing loafs of bread soaked in petrol into the building.
Dr. Mutiu Agboke, who is the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state confirmed the incident.
Security analysts who are studying the modes of attacks on the facilities are concerned about the similarities in the methods used by the attackers.
“It shows this is a coordinated thing,” said a very senior police officer who said he is not authorized to speak over the matter.
“And that tells you that we have to brace up for similar things in the states already affected and those not yet affected. Those who don’t want 2023 to be a reality might just have started their attacks from this point onward,” said the police source.
As at press time, command spokesmen who were approached by the NPO Reports were yet to make categorical statements.
NPO Reports gathered that already, there is a high command policy statement being expected that would guide further reactions over the attacks.
Already, the commission’s Inter-Agency Cumulative Committee on Security is expected to meet today to review the attacks and map out strategies over them.
Reacting to the incident, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye said the attention of the Nigeria Police Force and other security and safety agencies have been informed of the incident and have since commenced a investigation.
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“With just 106 to the 2023 General Election when the commission has Commenced the movement of materials to our offices nationwide, these simultaneous attacks are very worrisome indeed,” INEC lamented
“Similarly, the rising incident of attacks on supporters of various political parties since the commencement of campaign barely two months ago and the use of hate and incendiary languages by some politicians are extremely disturbing.
“Accordingly, the Commission has convened an emergency meeting of the Inter-Agency Cumulative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) tomorrow Friday 11th, 2023 to discuss the disturbing trend.”
Already, NPO Reports that Nigerians have apprehensions over the elections in 2023.
Just last week, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, repeated his earlier statement that he was not certain whether elections would hold in 2023 or not.
Addressing congregation at this year’s Holy Ghost Convention, Adeboye had said, “I have not been told anything about next year’s election by God.”
His statement had further raised more concerns over the fears ahead of 2023.