Tensions escalated in Imo State as unidentified gunmen launched a coordinated attack on Monday night, targeting the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Study Centre in Ehime Mbano and setting ablaze the home of former Senator Frank Ibezim. Ibezim, who represented Imo North in the Senate, condemned the attack, labeling it a grave threat to peace and security in the region.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Imo State Police Commissioner Aboki Danjuma strongly denounced the arson, describing it as a disturbing trend of violence undermining community safety. The commissioner immediately deployed tactical police units to apprehend the perpetrators and announced a comprehensive investigation led by the State Criminal Investigation Department.
Ibezim, responding to rumors, clarified that there are no plans to establish an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp at the NOUN facility in Nsu. His visit, accompanied by federal officials, was for an assessment of the study center for potential skills acquisition programs, which have been misconstrued as a refugee settlement scheme. He emphasized that the project is intended to provide vocational training for local youth, not to house displaced persons.
Imo State Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba, also refuted claims of an IDP camp, blaming propagandists for spreading false information to incite tension between the Southeast and other regions of Nigeria. The government assured citizens that the training facility is part of a federal initiative to enhance job skills across geopolitical zones, not a refugee resettlement project.
