Three workers with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have reportedly lost their lives in a road accident that left many others injured, the electoral umpire said on Monday.

INEC, in a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, announced the demise of the three.

According to the statement:

“On Sunday 18th April 2021, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the State, Mohammed Magaji Ibrahim, informed the Commission that an Electoral Officer (EO) and some Assistant Electoral Officers (AEOS) travelling from some Local Government Areas to Maiduguri for a special training ahead of the conversion of Voting Points into Polling Units were involved in the accident.

“Unfortunately, three staff: Adamu Mohammed (EO, Biu LGA), Abubakar Hamma Joda and Suleiman Umar (AEOS, Damboa LGA) lost their lives while five others sustained injuries. The deceased staff, who were indigenes of Adamawa State, will be buried today, Monday 19th April 2021, in Yola. The Supervising National Commissioner for Borno, Adamawa and Taraba States, AVM Ahmed Tijjani Mu’azu (rtd), will represent the Commission at their funeral while the injured staff members are receiving treatment in a Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri.

“It will be recalled that last week, the Commission commenced nationwide train-the-trainers workshop in Abuja involving Heads of Operations Departments drawn from all the States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The training is to be cascaded to state-level nationwide ahead of the fieldwork for the physical conversion of the VPS to PUs. The aim is to conclude the exercise ahead of the resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) on 28th June 2021.

“The three staff died in the course of national assignment. While praying for the repose of their souls, the Commission extends its condolence to their families and wishes the injured staff speedy recovery.”

The PUNCH