By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
Three staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Sunday died in a fatal road accident involving a number of its staff serving in Borno State.
Five others sustained injuries in the accident.
The accident occurred while the INEC staff were travelling from some Local Government Areas to Maiduguri for a special training ahead of the conversion of Voting Points into Polling Units.
A statement yesterday by the INEC
National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye gave the names of the three dead staff as;
Adamu Mohammed (EO, Biu LGA), Abubakar Hamma Joda and Suleiman Umar (AEOs, Damboa LGA)
The deceased staff, who were indigenes of Adamawa State, were buried yesterday, Monday 19th April 2021, in Yola.
The Commission, which prayed for the repose of the souls of the dead staff, extended its condolence to their families and wished the injured staff speedy recovery.
The statement by Okoye reads, “On Sunday 18th April 2021, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the State, Mohammed Magaji Ibrahim informed the Commission that an Electoral Officer (EO) and some Assistant Electoral Officers (AEOs) travelling from some Local Government Areas to Maiduguri for a special training ahead of the conversion of Voting Points into Polling Units were involved in the accident.
“Unfortunately, three staff: Adamu Mohammed (EO, Biu LGA), Abubakar Hamma Joda and Suleiman Umar (AEOs, Damboa LGA) lost their lives while five others sustained injuries.
“The deceased staff, who were indigenes of Adamawa State, will be buried today, Monday 19th April 2021, in Yola.
“The Supervising National Commissioner for Borno, Adamawa and Taraba States, AVM Ahmed Tijjani Mu’azu (rtd), will represent the Commission at their funeral while the injured staff members are receiving treatment in a Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri.
“It will be recalled that last week, the Commission commenced nationwide train-the-trainers workshop in Abuja involving Heads of Operations Departments drawn from all the States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“The training is to be cascaded to State level nationwide ahead of the fieldwork for the physical conversion of the VPs to PUs.
“The aim` is to conclude the exercise ahead of the resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) on 28th June 2021.
The three staff died in the course of national assignment.
“While praying for the repose of their souls, the Commission extends its condolence to their families and wishes the injured staff speedy recovery”, it said.
