The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that a fire incident at its Ika North East Local Government Area (LGA) office in Owa-Oyibu town, Delta State, has led to destruction of valuable items.

National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said this on Tuesday in a statement at the end of the management meeting of the commission.

Among the destroyed items were 706 ballot boxes, 50 election bags, 322 apron vests, three electric power generators, 140 stamps, 50 ballot box seals, as well as assorted materials such as envelopes, posters, forms, and booklets.

He said that the commission had received a preliminary report from the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Delta State, Mr. Etekamba Udo Umoren, on the fire incident which occurred on Monday.

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“The report indicates that the incident occurred in the afternoon of Monday, December 2, 2024 as a result of a sudden power surge following the restoration of public power supply.

“The store section where petrol generators and other items were kept was completely razed. Items destroyed in the inferno include 706 ballot boxes, 50 election bags, 322 apron vests, three electric power generators, 140 stamps, 50 ballot box seals and assorted items such as envelopes, posters, forms and booklets. Fortunately, there were no injuries or fatalities,” Olumekun said.

He said that the incident had been reported to the security agencies and emergency services for a thorough investigation.

The commission commended the cooperation of the Nigeria Police Force and the Delta State Fire Service for their response.

He noted that Ika North East is one of INECs 25 LGA offices in Delta State with 14 Registration Areas (wards), 238 polling units (PUs) and 131,747 registered voters.