Fire guts INEC office in Zamfara

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed a fire outbreak in one of its offices in Zamfara State.

The fire incident, which occurred late Monday night, affected its office in the Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of the state.

It is one of the many unfortunate incidents recorded by the commission in the last three years.

The INEC, barely 18 days ago, lost a staffer in an attack launched by unknown gunmen in Imo State while discharging his duties in a community.

The commission’s spokesperson, Festus Okoye, in a statement on Tuesday, said though no life was lost in the fire incident in Zamfara, it extensively damaged its building and some furniture.

**INEC building in Zamfara: Scene of the fire incidence**

He said all critical materials and machines set aside for ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in the state are safe.

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“The tragic incident occurred around 11.00 p.m. on Monday 2nd May 2022. No casualties were reported while critical materials such as Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) and registration machines for the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise stored in fireproof cabinets were saved.

“However, the building was extensively damaged. A number of fixed and movable office furniture were destroyed in spite of the best effort of the Zamfara State Fire Service and the spirited efforts of good Samaritans to contain the inferno,” he said.

While the commission could not ascertain the cause of the fire incident, it noted that the police and the Fire Service Department would commence an investigation into the incident.