The administrative headquartres of Okehi Local Government area of Kogi State at Obagende was reportedly set on fire by hoodlums.
According to an eyewitness, Muhammad Enesi from Obagende, the incident happened around 11.50 pm on Monday but the inferno was not noticed till a few minutes before 12 am on Tuesday.
He said the hoodlums must have planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) which were detonated shortly after, destroying the bursary department of the local government secretariat.
Enesi added that many properties, including documents, were burnt to ashes in the office.
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“We are lucky the fire did not touch INEC’s office which is directly behind the bursary office at the secretariat. Many electoral materials would have been burnt too. The explosion razed everything in the affected offices,” said Enesi.
The State Security Adviser, Navy Commander Jerry Omodara, (rtd) confirmed the incident on Tuesday, saying that it was the handwork of saboteurs who are out to cause panic and prevent voters from coming out to exercise their civic rights.”
He added that no casualty was recorded, assuring that security operatives have been drafted to the place to restore normalcy.
The Kogi state police command also confirmed the development, saying that the situation is under control.
According to the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP William Aya, the state commissioner of police, CP Hakeem Adesina Yusuf has deployed the anti-bomb unit of the command to the area to ascertain the kind of explosives used and other related matters.
“The fire only burnt some offices at the local government secretariat, not the INEC’s office as reported in the social media,” he said
He implored the people of the area not to exercise fear over the incident, stressing that the command had put in measures to ensure their safety.
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