• Again, gun men decimate INEC office in Enugu
• Over Alleged incompetence, Police Redeploy Osun State Commissioner
• INEC begins mock accreditation in Osun State ahead of elections
• Lagos shuts down Redeemers school as 5-year-old pupil drowns
• 2023: 30 years after, PDP elects female running mate in Cross River State

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss:

Again, gun men decimate INEC office in Enugu

In a statement released by INEC spokesperson Mr Festus Okoye, it was reported that some suspected arsonists have razed the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria’s South-east.

Note that this is not the first time an INEC facility is being attacked in the state.

The statement also further stated that the suspected arsonists, overpowered security guards at the facility and forced their way into the premises before setting the facility ablaze.

“Although no casualties were reported, 748 ballot boxes, 240 voting cubicles, office furniture and equipment were destroyed in spite of the best efforts of the Enugu State Fire Service deployed from Nsukka,” Mr Okoye said.

The INEC spokesperson said the commission was working to ascertain the status of voter registration machines for the on-going continuous Voter Registration exercise as well as uncollected Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) which were locked up in the fireproof cabinet at the commission’s office.

He said the incident has been reported to the police for investigation and further action.

Over Alleged incompetence, Police Redeploy Osun State Commissioner

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali, has ordered the temporary redeployment of the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Adewale Olokode.

Mr Alkali’s order came weeks after several groups in the state called for his replacement over alleged incompetence.

The police redeployed Mr Olokode to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, to act as the Provost.
Julius Okoro will replace him as the new police commissioner in Osun State.

This was contained in a police wireless message dated June 30, 2022, and obtained by our reporter.

The police wireless message with the reference number, SJ: 1800/FDPS/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL2/10; stated that the redeployment takes immediate effect.

INEC begins mock accreditation in Osun State ahead of elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday began a two-day mock accreditation in Osun, ahead of the governorship election in the state slated for July 16th.

Some correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who visited selected polling units in Osun Central Senatorial District, reported that the process was seamless, fast, and without hitches with the use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines.

At Polling Unit 5, Salvation Army School, Osogbo, registered voters who turned out for the mock accreditation exercise were promptly attended to and accredited within 20 to 45 seconds.

The accreditation was done with the use of BVAS machines, with either the fingerprints or facial recognition of the voters for the accreditation.

Lagos shuts down Redeemers school as 5-year-old pupil drowns

The Commissioner for Education, Folasade Adefisayo, announced the shutdown of Redeemer’s Nursery and Primary School, Ogba, Lagos State on Monday.

The little boy, Chidera, was said to have drowned during a swimming lesson while in custody of the school. It was also gathered that he and his peers were playing close to the pool during the training when he slipped into it.

As the commissioner spoke, she mentioned that the Police are investigating the matter and that a preliminary probe by the Office of Education Quality Assurance of the Ministry has shown that the Redeemers Nursery and Primary School, Ogba, is yet to conclude its registration and is, therefore, not yet an approved school.

She reiterated that the school will remain closed until all the required approval processes are concluded while she advised parents to note the closure and wait for the conclusion of the administrative investigation.

2023: 30 years after, PDP elects female running mate in Cross River State

Amidst much fanfare at the party secretariat, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a landmark moment finally elected a female running mate, for the 2023 gubernatorial race in Cross River State.

The landmark moment, thirty years after the first, happened at the party secretariat, when the former Channels TV broadcaster, Lady Emana Duke Ambrose-Amawhe, was settled on as running mate to Prof. Sandy Ojang Onor, gubernatorial candidate of the party for next year’s election.