Over 5000 Card Readers Destroyed – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission has said no fewer than 5000 card reader machines were destroyed in a fire that razed down its Akure office in Ondo State on Thursday evening.

This came about a month to the October 10 governorship election in the state when the commission was preparing for the conduct of the poll.

The cause of the inferno was unknown as of the time of filing this report but the fire destroyed some items in the office.

When our correspondent visited the scene, men of the state police command, and some INEC officials were present at the scene as security men prevented human and vehicle movement around the premises.

The INEC Commissioner in charge of Information and Voters Education, Festus Okoye, who spoke with journalists at the scene of the incident disclosed that the fire affected the Information and Communication Technology section of the commission, saying over 5100 card readers had been burnt in the inferno.

He explained that about 1000 card readers delivered to INEC from Osun State were also burnt in the fire while over 4000 card readers belonging to INEC in the state were also burnt.

He said though the incident was a setback “it will not affect the governorship election”.