Ebonyi government vows to arrest killers of INEC staff, farmer

On Wednesday, the Ebonyi government said it will soon apprehend the killers of Mr. Sunday Igwe, a staffer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state.

Supreme recalls that Igwe was killed by gunmen along the Mpu (Enugu)-Ishiagu (Ebonyi) road on June 18 and his wife, who was traveling with him, abducted.

The gunmen also killed Mr Ajah Okafor, Father to Leader of the Ohaneze Ndigbo socio-cultural organisation’s youth wing, Damian Okafor on his farm while fleeing with the abducted woman.

Mr Jude Okpor, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation revealed the government’s resolve on Wednesday during his maiden state Executive Council (EXCO) meeting briefing.

Okpor said Gov. Francis Nwifuru was saddened by the killings, which he described as ‘heartbreaking’.

“Security issues are not discussed in public but the government will do everything to apprehend the perpetrators of such dastardly act.

“The governor has given the necessary directives and soon, they would be apprehended.

“The governor recently had his first security council meeting with all heads of security agencies in attendance and the people are assured of their safety,” he said.

The commissioner said that the governor reiterated his desire to revamp education in the state and ultimately make public schools attractive again.

“He charged the two commissioners in charge of primary, secondary, and tertiary education to ensure the functionality of the school system in the state.

“They were directed to ensure that public schools rank higher than private ones, to make EXCO members and the public enroll their children in such schools.

“The governor also pledged to send them abroad to study functional education systems,” he said.

He noted that the government would soon construct houses for indigenes of the state displaced by communal crises.

The commissioner for housing and urban development was directed to set modalities for the initial construction of 50 bungalows for the displaced persons.

“Modalities for the implementation of this policy will soon be made public,” he said.