558 ballot boxes destroyed as fire razes INEC office in Sokoto

A fire outbreak has razed the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Gwadabawa Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The fire incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, February 11, 2025, damaging furniture, fixtures, and movable electoral materials.

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, confirmed the incident in a statement on Friday.

He said movable electoral materials, including 558 ballot boxes, 186 voting cubicles, 186 election bags, and various Registration Area Centre (RAC) materials such as large water tanks, sleeping mats, and plastic buckets were affected.

“Preliminary report from our State office indicates that there was a sudden surge from public power supply before the incident. However, the actual cause of the fire outbreak is being investigated by the security and safety agencies which have deployed their personnel to the facility,” Olumekun stated.

According to him, no injuries or fatalities were recorded.

“The Commission is making an effort to find an alternative temporary facility in the Local Government Area so that our activities are not completely disrupted,” he said.