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Aggrieved Youths Set INEC Office Ablaze in Benue |
In Benue State, aggrieved youths set fire to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Sankara, the headquarters of Ukum Local Government Area. The incident occurred on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. According to Prof. Sam Egwu, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Benue, the youths invaded the facility around 2 p.m. The attack was reportedly in protest against bandit activities that targeted government agencies, including INEC. Although no casualties were reported, the building suffered extensive damage. Office furniture, 10 electric generators, 300 ballot boxes, and 270 voting cubicles were destroyed1.
Governor Hyacinth Alia responded by imposing an indefinite curfew on Ukum Local Government Area due to the violent protests. These protests erupted in Sankera following the fresh killings of 11 people by armed outlaws who have repeatedly wreaked havoc in the area. Allegedly, the protesters torched the council’s secretariat and placed the bodies of victims in the parking lot of Council Chairman Victor Iorzaa. Iorzaa declined to comment on the matter. The curfew, effective from 3 p.m. today until further notice, aims to address the grave security situation and prevent further property destruction and instability in the region2.
Governor Alia called for calm and assured that security operatives have been deployed to maintain peace in Ukum and the broader Sankera region3.
