Unprovoked violence by yet to be identified criminals which resulted in the death of an INEC staff at a continuous voters registration centre on Thursday in Nkwo Ihitte market on Thursday continues to threaten the prospect of holding of general elections in Imo state in 2023.

Sources of the sporadic violent attacks are yet to be unraveled by security operatives. While some persons blame it on the activities of the IPOB others say they are orchestrated by rival political groups.

According to reports, on Thursday gunmen numbering 12 attacked some adhoc staff members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Nkwo Ihitte market, Imo State.

The INEC Staff were registering members of the community for the 2023 general elections when the gunmen attacked.

INEC officer in charge of the registration process was shot by the yet to be identified and apprehended gunmen.

Consequently, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended the Continuous Voter Registration Exercise (CVR) exercise in a local government in Imo State following the murder of its staff. This brings to three Local governments where voter registration exercise has been suspended.

These are Ihitte Uboma, Orsu and Njaba Local Government Areas. Consequently, INEC has also announced that the Continuous Voter registration would no longer hold at the 54 additional centres created to facilitate the registration of voters across the state but hold only at Local Government Area headquarters and INEC offices.

A statement the spokesperson of INEC, Festus Okoye, on Thursday confirmed that a staffer of the commission identified as Nwokorie Anthony was shot dead at Nkwo Ihitte (PU 004) in Amakohia Ward (RA 02) of Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area in the state by unknown gunmen on Thursday.

Mr Anthony was among the INEC Adhoc Staff registering members of the community for the 2023 general elections when tragedy struck.

For the fear of insecurity, Nigeria electoral umpire had earlier suspended the CVR exercise in Orsu and Njaba, two of the LGAs in Imo State.

“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 Orlu East, Oru West, Orlu and Ohaji – Egbema Local Government Areas of the State,” Mr Okoye said.

Confirming the attack, an eyewitness said: “We had all gathered in the village square in obedience to the directive that we should come out en masse to register.

“Not long after we queued; the Gunmen came in, shot sporadically, herded many into a room with a threat to kill them while others scampered for safety.”

But, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has denied involvement in killings going on in South East urging Nigerian youths to rise against bandits as a matter of urgency.

It also condemned what it described as “senseless and incessant attacks” in the South-East geopolitical zone, reiterating it had no hands in the ugly incidents.

IPOB’s Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, stated this in a statement on Thursday.

The statement reads: “We, the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra ably led by our leader, Nnamdi Kanu, strongly condemn the senseless and incessant attacks, abductions, killings and all manner of ‘criminalities’ in the South-Eastern states especially the recent barbarities in Anambra and other states in the regions of South-East and South-South.

“Again, we want to inform the world that IPOB and the Eastern Security Network members had no hands in the attacks contrary to baseless allegations by our enemies. We are not involved in the criminal activities of agents of darkness in our land.

“IPOB members are civilised people and are never involved in the barbarities going on in our territory. Anybody linking IPOB or ESN with these devilish activities is a blackmailer.

“IPOB is not unknown gunmen, and we cannot be. We are only after our mandate to protect our communities, bushes, and farms against the jihadists masquerading as Fulani herdsmen who are killing, maiming and raping our mothers, wives and sisters going to farms. IPOB will not tolerate such nonsense anymore.

“It is now clear to all that the bandits are out to eliminate every single individual or group in Southern Kaduna. Yet the governor is still looking for excuses instead of going after terrorists and bandits killing his subjects.

“We, therefore, urge Middle Belt, particularly the people of Southern Kaduna, Jos, and people of Nasarawa and youths who allowed their parents and children to be slaughtered like chicken, to rise and unite against “IPOB members are civilised people and are never involved in the barbarities going on in our territory. Anybody linking IPOB or ESN with these devilish activities is a blackmailer.

“IPOB is not unknown gunmen, and we cannot be. We are only after our mandate to protect our communities, bushes, and farms against the jihadists masquerading as Fulani herdsmen who are killing, maiming and raping our mothers, wives and sisters going to farms. IPOB will not tolerate such nonsense anymore.

“It is now clear to all that the bandits are out to eliminate every single individual or group in Southern Kaduna. Yet the governor is still looking for excuses instead of going after terrorists and bandits killing his subjects.

“We, therefore, urge Middle Belt, particularly the people of Southern Kaduna, Jos, and people of Nasarawa and youths who allowed their parents and children to be slaughtered like chicken, to rise and unite against bandits and terrorists”