Suspected hoodlums set ablaze NOUN, senator’s buildings in Imo

Suspected hoodlums on Monday night set ablaze the residence of a former federal lawmaker, Senator Frank Ibezim, at Ezeoke-Nsu in Ehime Mbano local government area of Imo State.

The hoodlums also burnt down some facilities at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Study Centre in the area.

The attacks followed a report that the Federal Government planned to renovate the NOUN facility as a training ground for repentant Boko Haram insurgents.

The Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Tijani Mohammed, recently visited the national training facility for the vulnerable located inside the NOUN study centre.

A resident of the community told journalists on Tuesday that the incident occurred at about 9:00 p.m. on Monday.

“A lot of our people raised their voices against this Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) training project in that place, especially where there is no existence of IDPs in the state.

“The planners of that project were insensitive to the agitation in the area,” he said.

The spokesman for the state police command, Henry Okoye, confirmed the incidents in a statement in Owerri.

READ ALSO: Gunmen set ablaze police station, kill cop in Imo

He described the attacks as barbaric and condemnable.

The spokesman said the state’s Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, had deployed the command’s tactical unit to identify and apprehend those responsible for the act.

The statement read: “Additionally, the Commissioner has instructed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident.

“This unfortunate incident reflects a disturbing trend of violence that undermines the safety and security of our communities.

“The command stands firmly against such acts and will take all necessary measures in synergy with other security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

“Furthermore, Danjuma urges the public to refrain from spreading fake news or making inciting statements that could destabilise the current peace in the state.

“He warns that anyone found guilty of spreading false information will face strict consequences.” 

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