Gunmen attack PVC collection centre in Imo, kill security man

The gunmen took the security man at the PVC collection centre, one young man from Umuezuo village, Umuokirika, in their vehicle and drove just outside the Council Secretariat gate, brought him out and shot him dead.

By Emma Ogbuehi

The spate of violence in Imo State continued unabated on Saturday morning when gunmen struck at a Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) collection centre at Afor Oru, headquarters of Ahiazu Mbaise local government area.

An eyewitness who narrated what happened to TheNiche said the gunmen who did not meet any of the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ended up killing the security man without laying their hands on the cards.

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According to the eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, “The gunmen came this morning. They drove straight to the PVC collection centre which is in the Chairman’s guest house inside the Council secretariat.

“If you recall, hoodlums vandalised the INEC office in the local government which is behind the Chioma Ajunwa Stadium and the sole administrator, Chief Tony Anakani, gave INEC his guest house inside the expansive council secretariat for use.

“That was where the gunmen came. Fortunately, none of the INEC staff was around. Some people said they had information of an imminent attack and stayed away.

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“So, they took the security man at the PVC collection centre, one young man from Umuezuo village, Umuokirika, in their vehicle and drove just outside the Council Secretariat gate, brought him out and shot him dead.

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“Nobody knows while they killed him and they left his body there and drove away.”

Another source said on their way out, the gunmen also stopped a car driven by one Mr. John Onuoha, younger brother to late Chief P.C. Onuoha, a prominent politician who hailed from Ihitte-Afoukwu community also in Ahiazu-Mbaise LGA.

Chief Onuoha, a member of the Imo State House of Assembly in the Second Republic and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) died last year.

According to our source: “Jovak (John Onuoha) was driving home when he ran into the hoodlums. They stopped him and asked him what he was doing on that road at that time. The road from Ahiara Junction through Afor Oru, Ihitte-Afoukwu to Aba Branch passed in front of the Ahiazu-Mbaise Council Secretariat.

“Jovak told them he was going home. They thought he was coming to the PVC collection centre. They ordered him out of his car, ransacked it and didn’t see anything other than money and perfume. They didn’t touch the money but took the bottle of perfume in his car.

“They told him that he was lucky, that they were looking for politicians and Jovak told them that he has nothing to do with politics. That was why they left him and asked him to go.”

TheNiche gathered that the whole area is tensed up and people are wondering who is behind the violence that has engulfed the entire state.