Our Staff Were Abducted, Raped During Election – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria’s electoral umpire, says some of its staff were abducted and raped during the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Naija News reports that INEC commissioner for information and voter education, Festus Okoye, made this known in a statement on Friday, March 1.

Okoye said while the elections were generally peaceful, there was “high level of violence” in a few places in addition to “the subjugation of some of our electoral officials to threats, harassment, intimidation, assault, abduction and even rape.”

His words: “The Commission condoles with the families of its ad-hoc staff who lost their lives while on this national assignment, as well as other Nigerians who died in the course of the elections,” he said.

“It also expresses its deep regrets and sympathy for all victims of this mindless violence. We stand with them in these difficult times.”

Okoye also said the conduct of some security agencies in the elections is a matter of “serious concern”.

“While acknowledging their professionalism n the deployment of election personnel and materials in a safe and timely manner, the conduct of certain members of the security agencies in some states is a matter of serious concern to the Commission,” he said.

“This matter will be further discussed directly with the Inspector-General of Police within the ambit of the lnter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES),” he added.