Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano
A fire outbreak yesterday destroyed a section of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s headquarters in Kano State.
The Public Relations Officer of the state Fire Service, Mr. Saminu Abdullahi, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview yesterday, saying that the fire started at about 10:30 am.
According to him, the fire outbreak affected the ICT office and a section of the administrative department of the commission.
“Even though no life was lost, the inferno destroyed the ICT office and a block in the administrative office of the commission,” he said.
Abdullahi said it was the quick intervention of the state Fire Service and the Federal Fire Service as well as the Airport Fire Service that saved the building from being burnt down.
Meanwhile, INEC yesterday confirmed that fire razed down its data processing centre in Kano.
The commission said that the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Kano State, Prof. Riskuwa Shehu reported a fire incident at the Data Processing Centre (DPC) located at the premises of the commission’s state office in Kano.
According to a statement by the INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Publicity and Voter Education, Mr. Festus Okoye, the fire engulfed the said Data Processing Centre before it was contained by the Federal Fire Service.
Okoye explained that the staff made spirited efforts to bring the fire under control using fire extinguishers, but they were overwhelmed until the arrival of officers of the Federal Fire Service which subsequently quenched the fire.
“The physical items burnt include Industrial Printers used for the printing of the voter register, Laser Jet Printers, Dell and Blade Servers, Desk Top Computers, Laptops for training, inverters and other accessories and fittings.”
“All the data in the Voter Register for the State, as well as all other sensitive documents of the State Office are backed up offsite and therefore safe. They will be recovered swiftly.”
He assured members of the public that this incident would not in any way affect the operations of the Commission.
Okoye also said that investigation into the cause of the fire incident had commenced and measures would be put in place to avert future occurrence.
