Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
Gunmen on Sunday went on rampage in Ivo Local Government Area killing two persons in Ishiagu community.
One of those killed is Mr Ajah Okafor, father of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth wing chieftain, Damian Okafor.
The other person killed, it was learnt, is a staff of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Emmanuel Igwe.
His wife was also reportedly kidnapped by the gunmen who intercepted their car along the Ishiagu-Mpu road in the area.
Ishiagu is a boarder community and a gateway to Abia and Enugu states. Mpu in Enugu State and Lokpanta in Abia are its neighbours.
Mr Damian confirmed the killing of his father to Our Reporter.
He said the gunmen had after attacking the couple taken the woman into the bush.
He alleged that the attackers were herdsmen who have been terrorising the area.
“In their bid to escape they ran into my father who was in his farm tending to his crops. They proceeded to kill my father so that he will not raise alarm and expose their presence in the area”
Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Ebonyi state also confirmed the death and kidnap of the INEC staff and wife respectively.
She said: “One of our colleagues, an Assistant Electoral Officer in Afikpo North LGA, Emmanuel Igwe, was shot to death by gunmen in Ivo on his way back from Abia State and his wife kidnapped.”
Police spokesperson in the state Onome Onvwakpoyeya also confirmed the incident.
She said the gunmen suspected to be herdsmen shot the man on the head through the windshield of his car.
She said the gunmen used knife to slice the throat of the second victim who was killed in the farm.
“There is a manhunt for the gunmen presently ongoing by the Police Command in the state,” she added.
A top security source in the area said the incident happened around 12pm.
The source lamented the upsurge in criminal activities in the area noting that one other person was killed last week by suspected kidnappers in Akaeze, a neighbouring community in same local government area.
In March, the palace of community’s monarch, Agụ III, Eze Moses Ngele was vandalised during a protest by women of the community.
The women had declared a weeklong peaceful protest against the killings and kidnapping of residents by suspected herdsmen in the area.
The protest, which lingered for four days later turned violent leading to the vandalisation of the Monarch’s palace by hoodlums who allegedly hijacked the protest.
Despite the protests, the security situation in the area has continued to get worse.
Sources in the area have accused the police and other security agencies of not doing enough to stop the menace of the gunmen in the area.
