Tension has mounted in parts of Imo state following heavy shooting at Ihite Uboma local government area office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by unknown Gunmen.
The Gunmen were said to have stormed the council on Thursday afternoon.
The hoodlums destroyed many INEC’s PVCs and chased away people who were at the INEC office to collect the items ahead of 2023 election.
An INEC staff, Nwokorie Anthony, was l shot dead during the pandemonium.
The details of the incident were sketchy as at the time of this report.
It was learnt that the Gunmen had after the attack warned those who were at the INEC office to collect their PVCs and for registration exercise not to go there again.
The threatened to deal mercilessly with them.
Meanwhile, INEC has suspended the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State.
The suspension was “sequel to the report by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Professor Emeka Ezeonu, to the effect that today, 14th of April 2022, Mr. Nwokorie Anthony, a staff of the Imo State office of the Commission involved in the ongoing CVR exercise, was shot dead by unknown gunmen at Nkwo Ihitte (PU 004) in Amakohia Ward (RA 02) of Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area.”
Festus Okoye Esq. National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee in a statement on Thursday said the REC had further reported that the State Office was making efforts to locate the whereabouts of the two remaining staff involved in the registration exercise.
Okoye said that prior to this incident, the Commission had suspended the CVR in Orsu and Njaba Local Government areas of the State on account of insecurity while the exercise is taking place only at the INEC LGA office in Oru East, Oru West, Orlu and Ohaji – Egbema Local Government Areas of the State.
According to the INEC senior official,”The Commission extends its condolences to the family of Nwokorie Anthony and prays that God will grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.
The incident has been reported to security agencies to unravel the circumstances that led to this unfortunate incident and bring the culprits to justice.”
“We enjoin the President General of the various Town Unions in Imo State as well as all the critical stakeholders to protect staff of the Commission engaged in national assignment. The safety and security of staff is of paramount importance to the Commission, particularly with the devolution of the voter registration exercise beyond our State and Local Government Area offices nation in our determination to serve Nigerians better.”