Gunmen Burn INEC Office In Anambra

The headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Anambra State has been set ablaze by gunmen.

They also made an attempt to attack the Police ‘B’ Divisional Headquarters close to the INEC office but were halted by the operatives on duty.

The office of the electoral umpire and the police station are both located in Awka, the state capital, Nigeria.

The incident, which happened on Sunday, is the latest in the series of attacks on police facilities and INEC offices by hoodlums in recent times in the country.

The assailants had embarked on a mission to attack the police station to cause severe ruins, but it became an unsuccessful operation as the attempt was repelled by security operatives who engaged them in a fierce firefight, killing two of them in the process.

Although police authorities in the state confirmed the killing of two of the assailants during the gun battle, there was no information on whether or not any security operative was killed.

Some sources also stated that three Hilux vans fully packed with armed men stormed the police station and opened fire for more than one hour.

They were reported to have later proceeded to the Ekwueme Square axis and fired gunshots for another 10 minutes before storming the INEC headquarters and set it on fire.

As a result of the incidents, authorities in the state have urged the residents to avoid some routes.

They included the Roban Road, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Road, Arroma Road, and Ifite Road; all in the state capital.