The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said some of its staff were abducted and raped during the last Saturday presidential and national assembly elections.

“In addition to the subjugation of some of our electoral officials to threats, harassment, intimidation, assault, abduction and even rape,” INEC’s national commissioner for information and voter education, Festus Okoye said in a statement on Friday.

“The Commission condoles with the families of its ad-hoc staff who lost their lives while on this national assignment, as well as other Nigerians who died in the course of the elections,” he added.

The elections were held on Saturday, February 28. It was marred by delays, sporadic violence, killing and allegations of vote rigging.

“The commission is determined to rectify the identified challenges before the elections on March 9,” Okoye said.

Okoye also affirmed that the conduct of some security agencies during the elections is a matter of “serious concern” and said the situation will be further discussed with the Inspector-General of Police.

“While acknowledging their professionalism n the deployment of election personnel and materials in a safe and timely manner, the conduct of certain members of the security agencies in some states is a matter of serious concern to the Commission,” he said.

“This matter will be further discussed directly with the Inspector-General of Police within the ambit of the lnter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).”