The headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) located on No. 1 Achi Street by Agric Bank Bus Stop. Independence Layout, Enugu, Enugu State, was on Sunday night gutted by fire barely one week after its office at Obollo-Afor, Udenu Local Government Area of the state was razed.
Mohammed Aliyu, the state commissioner of police, confirmed the incident and said he was at the scene to avert a monumental damage.
Chief Fire Officer of Enugu State, Mr. Okwudili Ohaa, said the timely intervention of firefighters saved the office from being totally razed, disclosing however, that five INEC operational vehicles were completely burnt while one was partially burnt.
The cause of the fire which started at about 9.30pm is yet to be ascertained, but it was said to have raged for over one hour.
“Our timely intervention saved INEC headquarters Enugu from burning completely. We were able to quench the fire immediately as it tried to spread to the main building of the INEC Headquarters. It only gutted two seats, probably visitors’ seats at the corridors upstairs,’’ Ohaa said.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) nor the Public Relations Officer responded to calls put across their mobile phones.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Aliyu, has ordered an investigation into the fire incident. Aliyu also directed a total cordon off of the premises to allow for proper investigation.
Police Public Relations Officer for the state command, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, said this in a statement on Monday. “Yet- to-be -identified armed miscreants on Sunday, May 16, at about 8:30 p.m., attempted to set the Enugu Headquarters of the INEC ablaze but were stiffly resisted by joint security operatives, who swiftly mobilised to the scene.
“The Enugu State Fire Service personnel that promptly responded to calls helped in quenching the fire, which had already set on five vehicles and two cushions within the office complex”, Ndukwe said.
