Angry Youths Set INEC Office Ablaze In Benue

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Sankara, the headquarters of Ukum Local Government Area in Benue State, was set ablaze by protesting youths on Wednesday.

The National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, confirmed the incident in a statement released late Wednesday.

According to the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Prof. Sam Egwu, the attack took place at 2 pm during a protest against the activities of bandits in the region.

The demonstration turned violent, resulting in the destruction of various government facilities, including the INEC office.

Although no casualties were reported, the damage to the building was extensive.

See photos from the scene below:

The statement mentioned that numerous items were destroyed, such as furniture, 10 electric generators, 300 ballot boxes, and 270 voting cubicles.

Olumekun stated that security agencies have been informed and have dispatched personnel to the area to restore order and investigate the incident.

The statement read, “The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Benue State, Professor Sam Egwu, has reported that our Local Government Area office in Sankara, headquarters of Ukum Local Government Area, has been attacked and burnt down.

“The incident occurred at 2 p.m. today, Wednesday, 3rd July 2024, when the youths in the area were said to be protesting against the activities of bandits who attacked facilities of government agencies, including INEC.

“Although no casualties were reported, the building has been extensively damaged. Office furniture and other movable and immovable materials, including 10 electric generators, 300 ballot boxes, and 270 voting cubicles, were destroyed in the attack.”

It could be recalled that the INEC released data on December 16, 2022, revealing that there were 50 attacks on its facilities in the past four years across 15 states.

Imo State had the highest number of incidents, with a total of 11 attacks.