The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, has asked the National Assembly to pass a resolution classifying the INEC’s buildings nationwide as high security and priority facilities.
This, he says, is to further enhance the security and protection of the Commission’s structures.
Mahmood Yakubu spoke at an investigative hearing on the incessant attacks on INEC facilities.
Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Customs, Leke Abejide, says the perpetrators of the coordinated attacks should be classified as enemies of the nation.
The Chairman of the ad hoc committee, Taiwo Oluga, called for actionable intelligence among security agencies.
But the committee was taken aback by the submission of the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice that there have been no prosecution of any suspect for the 50 attacks against INEC facilities between 2019 and now.
The facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission has come under various forms of attacks across the Country over the last few years with the first known attack happening in 2006 but since then the attacks have changed in form including the death of an electoral officer in the period leading up to and after the 2015 Election.
Other attacks that have happened have been especially rampant in the South East from So Called unknown Gunmen who have killed, maimed personnel of the Independent National Electoral Commission and also burnt its facilities including PVC’s and Other valuable equipment.
The disclosure by the Attorney General of the Federation that nobody is being prosecuted for the attacks on the facilities of the Election Management body will come as a major shock to most Nigerians who had hoped to at least have closure on some of these attacks.
It will also add to the Headache of the Chairman of the Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.