CURSORY:
- INEC has announced the cancellation of the state House of Assembly Election at Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State.
- This is due to the fact that 17 ad-hoc staff of the commission was kidnapped by gunmen on 18th of March.
- Although the staff has been rescued, election materials, BVAs and other sensitive materials were not recovered.
INEC has announced the cancellation of the state house of assembly elections scheduled for Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State.
The approach was in reaction to the kidnapping of 17 ad-hoc staff earlier today, 18th March 2023.
An anonymous source within the commission revealed that the INEC staff were reportedly overpowered by gunmen who forced them into vehicles before speeding away.
Chinenye Chijioke-Osuji, who is a spokesperson for INEC, however, confirmed the rescue of the kidnapped staff in response to a distress call, with operatives immediately taking action upon receiving information about the incident.
Despite successfully rescuing the individuals, Chijioke-Osuji also noted that the election materials, including BVAS and sensitive materials, were not retrieved.