The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Igboeze-South Local Government Area of Enugu State was on Sunday gutted by fire, the chief security officer of the local government, Romanus Ezekwueme confirmed the incident on Monday.

“I was on duty with some neighbourhood security around 11:00 p.m. on Sunday when we saw the flame coming out from INEC office and immediately rushed to the scene.

“We broke the gate of INEC office because it was locked, only to see that fire has started from the storeroom in INEC building.

“We immediately made a distress call to Nsukka and Udenu fire service who came and helped us to quench the fire,” he said.

The CSO said the intervention of the firemen prevented the fire from spreading to other parts of the building.

“It is only the store in INEC building that was completely razed down by the fire,” he said.

Reacting to the incident, the chairman of Igboeze-South LGA, Andy Omeje, also confirmed the fire incident and thanked the fire service, but saying that only the store in the INEC office was affected.

“We thank the fire service for their intervention that prevented the fire from spreading to other rooms in the building.

“When I was called last night that INEC building was on fire, I rushed to the local government secretariat where the building is located. I was there till the fire was quenched before I left,” he said.

Mr Omeje, however, expressed concern that INEC officials had continued to deny security men access to the compound at night by locking up the gate.

“This is to know when hoodlums strike so that they can work together.

“Last night, when the fire incident started, it was difficult for neighbourhood security to gain access to the INEC compound. They had to force the gate open in order to help to stop the fire,” he said.

Meanwhile, the INEC electoral officer in Igboeze-South LGA, Lorretta Uroko, also confirmed the incident but declined to make further comment.

“I will not comment on this issue until I get permission from my Resident Electoral Commissioner at the headquarters in Enugu,” she said.

According to the Enugu State Chief Fire Officer Okwudili Ohaa, the firemen were able to stop the fire from spreading to other rooms in the INEC office.

“It is only the storeroom that burnt completely,” he said.

He said the cause of the fire was yet unknown but advised residents to always have a fire extinguisher in their homes and offices as well as switch off electrical appliances when they were not around.

Efforts to reach the Enugu police spokesperson failed as he did not pick calls.

On May 13, the INEC office in Obollo-Afor, Udenu LGA, was razed down and on May 16, INEC headquarters in Enugu was attacked while vehicles and part of the building were razed.