Fire guts INEC office, destroys 558 ballot boxes, 186 voting enclosures, others

By Folorunso Alagbede

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), office in Gwadabawa Local Government Area office in Sokoto State has been gutted by fire.

This was confirmed in a statement on Friday by the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman

Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Sam Olumekun in Abuja.

Among items destroyed in the INEC office, according to Olumekun, were; furniture and fixtures as well as movable electoral facilities including 558 ballot boxes, 186 voting enclosures (cubicles), 186 election bags.

Others included various Registration Area Centre (RAC) materials such as 12 large water tanks (1,000 litres), 400 sleeping mats and 300 plastic buckets.

The fire incident, according to Olumekun, was reported by the Administrative Secretary in charge of the State office, Mrs. Hauwa Aliyu Kangiwa.

He added that preliminary report from Sokoto State  office of the commission, indicated that there was a sudden surge from public power supply before the incident.

However,  the actual cause of the fire outbreak, he disclosed, is being investigated by the security and safety agencies which have deployed their personnel to the facility.

The statement reads, “At its regular weekly meeting held on Thursday 13th February 2025, the Commission  (INEC) took note of a sad incident of fire outbreak in our Gwadabawa Local Government Area office in Sokoto State as reported by the Administrative Secretary in charge of the State office, Mrs. Hauwa Aliyu Kangiwa.

“The fire started in the early hours of the morning on Tuesday 11th February 2025. The entire building was damaged.

“Items destroyed include furniture and fixtures as well as movable electoral facilities, among them 558 ballot boxes, 186 voting enclosures (cubicles), 186 election bags and various Registration Area Centre (RAC) materials such as 12 large water tanks (1,000 litres), 400 sleeping mats and 300 plastic buckets.

“Preliminary report from our State office indicates that there was a sudden surge from public power supply before the incident.”

However, he noted that the actual cause of the fire outbreak is being investigated by the security and safety agencies which have deployed their personnel to the facility.

“No injuries or fatalities were recorded.

“The Commission is making an effort to find an alternative temporary facility in the Local Government Area so that our activities are not completely disrupted”, the statement concluded.