Three INEC Staff On Official Assignment Die In Road Accident

• Five Others Sustain Injuries

19^th April 2021

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the death of three staff members who were involved in a fatal road accident while on official duty in Bornu State. 

In a statement issued on 19^th April and signed by National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye, the sad news was broken by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Bornu State, Mr. Mohammed Magaji Ibrahim on Sunday 18^th April 2021.

Magaji explained that an Electoral Officer (EO) and some Assistant Electoral officers (AEOs) who were travelling from some local government areas to Maiduguri for a special training ahead of the conversion of Voting Points (VPs) into Polling Units (PUs) were involved in the accident. 

The statement reads in part: “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, Air Vice Marshal (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.”

The Commission had, last week, organised on a Train-the Trainers workshop in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for Heads of Operations Departments drawn from the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). 

The training will be cascaded to state level nationwide ahead of the fieldwork for the physical conversion of the VPs to PUs. The exercise will be concluded before the resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) on 28^th June 2021.

“The three staff died in the course of national assignment, Okoye said, adding “while praying for the repose of their souls, the Commission extends its condolence to their families and wishes the injured staff speedy recovery.”