The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), has debunked online reports that there was a bomb explosion in its offices at Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The Kogi State Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Gabriel Longpet told journalists in Lokoja on Tuesday that the report was false and unfounded.
Longpet explained that the said explosion never took place close to the INEC office in the Local Government.
The INEC REC said the bomb explosion happened in Okehi Local Government Secretariat and not the INEC office.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Government has condemned, in strongest terms, the bomb attack which affected a section of the Okehi Local Government Secretariat Complex, saying that the security agencies have been charged to unravel the masterminds of the attack.
According to the state government, preliminary findings have shown that no casualty was recorded as a result of the proactive measures anchored on the state‘s iron-cast security architecture.
The Commissioner for Information and Communications in the state, Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement on Tuesday said the state government was on top of the situation and had immediately put in place further measures to keep the people safe before, during and after the elections.
“This is our responsibility to all Kogites irrespective of their political affiliations. Those behind this would be fished out and severely dealt with to serve as a deterrent to others in their league,” the state government said.
Fanwo called on residents of Okehi Local Government Area and the entire Kogi Central Senatorial District to remain calm while urging parents to properly guide their wards against being used as political thugs in the forthcoming elections.
“Government will be unsparingly decisive in dealing with issues of political thuggery before, during and after the elections,” he stressed.
The statement read, “The Kogi State Government condemns in the strongest of terms, the attack in Okehi Local Government Area that affected a section of the Okehi Local Government Secretariat Complex. It is an act of cowardice that will continue to fail in the attempt by enemies of the people to compromise the peace and security we enjoy in Kogi State.
“We wish to call on residents of Okehi Local Government Area and indeed the entire Kogi Central Senatorial District to remain calm as Government is on top of the situation and further measures have been immediately deployed to keep them safe before, during and after the elections. This is our responsibility to all Kogites irrespective of their political affiliations. Those behind this will be fished out and severely dealt with to serve as a deterrent to others in their league.
“Preliminary findings have shown that no casualty was recorded as a result of the proactive measures anchored on our iron-cast security architecture. Security agencies have been charged to unravel the masterminds of the attack and we assure our people that those behind such a dastardly act will not be spared from justice.