30 missing INEC staff in Kogi found

The 30 missing ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) who were reported missing have been found.

“We can now confirm that all the 30 ad-hoc staff engaged for the 2019 Kogi Governorship election and posted to Polling Units 002, 006 and 013 at Olamaboro III; and Polling Units 006, 012, 015, 016, 022 at Imani 1 all in Olamaboro Local Government Area have been accounted for,” spokesman to INEC chairman Rotimi Oyekanmi, said in a statement.

“The staff are safe, sound and back in their respective homes.”

The ad-hoc staff were declared missing at about 1:00 am on Sunday while collation of results were ongoing at Olamaboro local government of Kogi State.

He said the election-day duty staff were missing due to the violent attacks by some armed thugs at their duty posts after the close of polls.

He said INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu has personally spoken with some of them and they confirmed that they are hale and hearty.

He disclosed that none of them was either injured or killed.

“They were able to successfully conclude the result collation process before the commotion started.

“The collated election results at Local Government Level are now being announced at the State Collation Centre at the Commission’s State Office in Lokoja,” Oyekanmi said.