On Monday night, suspected arsonists set fire to the residence of former lawmaker Sen. Frank Ibezim in Ezeoke-Nsu, Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State.
The assailants, who remain at large, also burned facilities at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Study Center located in the area.
These attacks come in the wake of a viral video alleging that the Federal Government planned to renovate the NOUN facility as a training ground for repentant Boko Haram insurgents.
This video followed a recent inspection by Tijani Mohammed, the Federal Commissioner for the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, who visited the training facility for vulnerable individuals situated within the NOUN study center.
A community member, speaking anonymously, reported that the incident occurred around 9 p.m. on Monday. The source suggested that the attacks were likely triggered by the false video claiming that repentant insurgents would be relocated and trained at the NOUN facility.
“A lot of our people raised their voices against this Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) training project in that place, especially since there are no IDPs in the state. The planners of that project were insensitive to the agitation in the area,” the source said.
A community leader, who also requested anonymity, expressed dismay over the destruction of the NOUN buildings by the suspected arsonists.