News

Bomb Discovered At INEC Office In Owerri

Published

10 years ago

January 14, 2015

The Imo State Police Command Bomb Disposal Unit yesterday uncovered bomb at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in the State.
Also another bomb reportedly planted under a palm tree at the Owerri Capital Development Authority, (OCDA) few metres away from the INEC Office and the state secretariat along Port Harcourt –Owerri Road was found.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Andrew Enwerem who confirmed the two incidents said that the Police acted on a tip off to avert what could have been a total calamity if the two bombs had been exploded. “On arrival at the scene we discovered it was an Improvised Explosive Device, IED planted somewhere near OCDA.”
He said that the bomb was detonated without any harm, adding that the police had thrown its dragnet to fish out those behind the act.
When our correspondent visited both INEC and OCDA along Port Harcourt Road at about 10 am, there was heavy presence of armed Policemen that condoned off the entire areas.
The Secretary of the Electoral Commission, Mr. Obi Olucha said, “we saw something when we reported to work this morning and we called in the police who said it was fertiliser chemical.”
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday confirmed that about 50 percent of eligible voters in the State are yet to get their Permanent Voter’s Card(PVC).
The Commission also disclosed that some electoral Wards in eleven Local Government Areas out of the 27 Council Areas of the State would not be part of the fresh distribution of PVC that would commence today (Thursday).
The affected LGAs include Oru East, Okigwe, Ohaji/Egbema, Ezinihitte, Isu, Obowo, Nkwerre,Njaba, Ngor Okpala, Ideato South and Orsu Council Area where no PVC was supplied at all.
Speaking at a news conference yesterday at the INEC state headquarters, the new Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Gabriel Ada, disclosed that the PVC yet to arrive the State, but expressed worry that the people are yet to collect the once available.
He said, “the statistics of the card distribution in the state is still below 60 percent and this does not augur well for a full participatory democracy which we anticipate. This is totally unacceptable to the Commission”.
He stated further that, “given this, the Commission has recommended that we go back to the field for another ten days to distribute these PVCs to their rightful owners, but at the Registration Area (Ward) level. This is in bid to ensure that every Nigerian is given an opportunity to exercise his/her franchise”.