Bomb Explosion Rocks INEC's Office in Ekiti

The office of the Independent National Electoral Commi-ssion (INEC) in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State was yesterday, razed down through a substance suspected to be explosive material said to have been thrown at the office by yet unknown persons.

INEC’s Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Taiwo Gbadegesin, who confirmed that the incident occurred at about 10a.m yesterday, however, added that no life was lost.

Also, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Mr. Mohammed Jimoh, who confirmed the incident, said the police had deployed bomb experts to the scene to ascertain what really happened.


According to him, the security man attached to the INEC office is already with the police assisting them in the investigation to unravel those behind the bombing.

While it was not clear at press time, those behind the incident, a source alleged that some hoodlums who drove in a red sport utility van to the INEC office along Odooro Road, launched the explosive materials, having overpowered the security man attached to the place.

The suspected arsonists were said to have threatened to kill the security man before they threw the bomb which razed down the place. The incident was strange since there was no election held in the area in the recent time. The last rerun election held in Ekiti State at the weekend, actually took place at another senatorial district, different from where the explosion occurred.

While reacting to the incident, Gbadegesin, who said the arsonists were there for a purpose, said  information reaching INEC indicated that the culprits, who came from Abuja  actually wanted to retrieve a particular file. He disclosed further that the arsonists, who meant to bomb the store, ended up destroying the entire building.

He lamented that at the time of the operation, some top officers of the INEC were attending a workshop in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. According to him, fire fighters made spirited efforts to put out the fire,  with the assistance of residents of the community, but did not succeed, as most of the departments have been burnt down.

Gbadegesin said the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Alhaji Hussaini Pai, led top officials of INEC to the place to assess the extent of damage done to the building. 

But, the REC commissioner said it could not be confirmed whether the explosion was actually through a bomb explosive or fire incident. He confirmed that police had taken over the investigation of the incident to ascertain the cause.

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