Gunmen Attack Enugu INEC Office, Kill Police Officer

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Enugu South local government area has been attacked by unknown gunmen.

The incident which occurred around 9.12pm on Sunday led to the death of one of the police officers while the other sustained injuries and is receiving treatment.

INEC in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP in Abuja yesterday signed by the national commissioner and chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said the security gatehouse was razed.

Fortunately, Okoye said the attackers could not gain access to the main building as a result of the rapid response from the Police and Army personnel from 82 Division.

“The state commissioner of police and the REC were personally at the scene immediately they received information about the attack. Of the two Policemen deployed to protect the facility, one of them lost his life while the other sustained injuries and is receiving treatment. The Commission prays for the repose of the soul of the deceased policeman and the speedy recovery of the injured,” he said.

He said the resident electoral commissioner (REC), Dr. Chukwuemeka Chukwu, reported the attack by unknown gunmen.

He said, “The attack is being investigated by the security agencies. Furthermore, a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in Enugu State co-chaired by the REC and the commissioner of police has been convened to discuss the latest incident and design additional strategies of fortifying the offices and protecting the personnel and materials.”

He added that the destroyed gatehouse will be rebuilt, and the commission is proceeding with its preparations for the 2023 general election in Enugu State and the entire country as scheduled.

Before now, the State INEC Headquarters, Igboeze North INEC office and Udenu LGA INEC office had been attacked last year.

On Saturday gunmen stormed an INEC office in Imo killing a vigilante member.

A statement by the spokesman of the police command in Enugu, Daniel Ndukwe, which confirmed the attack,  disclosed that the  Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command,  Ahmed Ammani, has ordered discreet investigation and manhunt of the suspected IPOB/ESN renegades, who in their numbers  carried out the attack

He stated that the attack took place on Sunday at about 9.15pm, but” were resisted and repelled by Police Operatives on duty in the Office”.

Ndukwe said in the ensuing gun duel, however, one of the resilient operatives sustained a fatal gunshot injury and was taken to the hospital, where he was confirmed dead, and his corpse deposited in the mortuary for preservation, while many of the hoodlums, who had used a suspected petrol bomb to set the security house ablaze, escaped with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.