Ojoto INEC Fire: I Called Police Early Enough – Traditional Ruler

His Royal Highness,  Igwe Gerald Obunadike Mbamalu, the traditional ruler of Ojoto, headquarters of Idemili South Local Government Area in Anambra State says he informed the local police of the Ojoto INEC fire and the planned attack by gunmen in the early hours of Wednesday, February 1, 2023.

Igwe Mbamalu, who spoke to Prime Business Africa in a telephone conversation following the news of an attack on the Local Government Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) setting ablaze and reportedly destroying many unclaimed permanent voter cards (PVCs), said he personally called the police station at 3. am  “to inform the DPO.”

According to Igwe Mbamalu, it was unfortunate that the police division the area,  instead of immediately sending its men to the area, the DPO advised him to mobilise the community vigilante group through the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to lay ambush and block the attackers before police officers could come.

READ ALSO: Gunmen In Anambra Attack Ojoto INEC Office, Nnobi Police Station, Kill 16-year-old

“When we got the information at about 3 am on Wednesday that the arsonists behind the Ojoto INEC fire came in a white Hilux van, we alerted the Police division, but nothing was done to prevent it.

“I had personally called the DPO at 3 a.m when information filtered in that some group of people came in a white Hilux van to set the INEC office on fire,” the monarch said told Prime Business Africa correspondent on telephone.

Many Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were said to have been burnt by the fire set on the INEC’s office building in the LGA.

INEC was yet to respond to an inquiry by our correspondent regarding the fire incident upon filling this report.

Meanwhile, the gunmen also attacked a Police Station and a residential building at Nnobi, less than two kilometres from Ojoto INEC Office, killing a 16-year-old boy and injuring a female aged 15 years.  The police station is also located in the same Council Area.

The hoodlums were said to have invaded the facilities at about 1:45 am on Wednesday, armed with IEDs, petrol bombs, and other explosives.

When contacted, the Anambra State Police Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident and gave the assurance that security had been reinforced in both areas.  “Anambra State Police Command today 1/2/2023 has reinforced security deployment in the state, following an attack on the INEC office in idemili South, Ojoto and Nnobi Police Station,” Ikenga said.