By Joy Odor
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Imo State, Professor Sylvia Uchenna Agu, has reported that the State Headquarters office in Owerri was attacked by unknown gunmen.
National Commissioner & Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye Esq in a press statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday informed that the incident occurred at about 3.00am.
According to him, 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.
“The response of the security and emergency services (the Fire Service) curtailed further damage to the building and other assets of the Commission.
“No critical election materials were destroyed and no casualties involving staff of the Commission.
“This is 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.
“Our Imo State Headqurters is located in the centre of the Owerri, the State capital, between a court and the State secretariat.
“This is therefore yet another systematic attack targeted at the Commission’s 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” Okoye lamented.