Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have killed an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Emmanuel Igwe, along Ishiagu axis of the Ishiagu-Mpu Road in Ebonyi State.

It was gathered that Igwe, an Assistant Electoral Officer (AEO), was killed on Sunday evening while returning from Anambra State.

It was learned that Igwe’s wife was also abducted by the gunmen.

An INEC official in Abakaliki headquarters, Nicholas Onu, revealed that the slain victim was killed by kidnappers suspected to be herdsmen, noting that the loss was too much to bear.

He called for the immediate deployment of joint police and military security team to stave off armed kidnapping, robbery, and other forms of criminality along the road.

Onu said: “Mr Emmanuel Igwe was shot and killed by armed kidnappers suspected to be herdsmen while they abducted his wife.

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“Latest information from the family has it that the corpse has been evacuated and deposited at a morgue in Abakaliki while the suspects are demanding for a N10 million ransom.”

Confirming the incident on Monday, June 19, the Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, said a detachment of tactical team from the command had been sent for a manhunt for the criminals.

Onovwakpoyeya said: “There was an attack where one person was shot in the head through the windscreen and nothing was taken from the vehicle and the other victim was a farmer working on his farm whom they cut off the throat.

“So, there is a serious manhunt for the hoodlums or whoever they are.”

Some indigenes of Ishiagu community in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, while speaking on the incident, called on the police and other security agencies to curb the emerging security challenges along the Ishiagu-Mpu Road.

Also speaking, the Youth Leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Damian Okoafor, who confirmed the killing of his father to reporters in Abakaliki on Monday, said suspected herders invaded the community on Sunday and carried out the horrible act.

“Suspected herdsmen attacked Ishiagu community again, killed my father, one other person, and abducted one,” he said.

The Star