November 10, (THEWILL) – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office, located at Iyana Mortuary axis of Abeokuta South local government area of Ogun State, has been gutted by fire.
According to reports, the facility was allegedly set on fire by suspected arsonists who scaled the perimeter fencing into the commission’s premises.
The arsonists, numbering about eight, were said to have soaked loaves of bread with petrol and threw same into the building from different points to light up the facility.
A source, who pleaded anonymity, said the security guard on duty, Azeez Hamzat, made a distress call to the police around 1:00 am, that the facility was on fire.
It was learnt that the police from Ibara division mobilised detectives to the scene, while contacting fire fighters.
THEWILL, however, gathered that while the store, the Registration Area Officer’s office, the conference room and non-sensitive materials, were affected by the inferno, no “life was lost and no injury was sustained in the fire.”
The Ogun State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Niyi Ijalaye, who confirmed the incident, described it as shocking.
“It is correct that our office may have been deliberately torched. The police are investigating the matter. I do not know what to say. I’m in shock myself.
”We called the police and other security agencies at night. The fire brigade put the situation under control. The level of damage is still being assessed.
“It is very shocking and untoward. The security agencies are doing their very best. We are meeting again later today to come up with other strategies toward securing our facilities”, Ijalaye said.
When contacted, Spokesperson of the State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he would find out about the incident before making any statement.
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