The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, Aboki Danjuma, on Tuesday, vowed to arrest the perpetrators of the arson at the National Open University (NOUN), Ezeoke Nsu, in Ehime Mbano, as well as the destruction of part of the residence of Senator Frank Ibezim, who represented Imo North district in the ninth Senate.
This was contained in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Assistant Superintendent Henry Okoye on Tuesday.
The statement said, “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.
“In response to this attack, the commissioner promptly deployed the Command’s Tactical Unit to identify and apprehend those responsible for this act of arson. Additionally, the Commissioner has instructed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the incident”.
The commissioner has emphasised that no individual involved in this attack will escape the full legal consequences, as the police are committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice is served.
Danjuma urged the public to refrain from spreading fake news or making inciting statements that could destabilise the current peace in the state. He warned that anyone found guilty of perpetuating false information will face strict consequences.
“The police in synergy with other security agencies are dedicated to maintaining peace and order, and we encourage citizens to cooperate with law enforcement efforts to safeguard our communities”.
The PUNCH gathered that gunmen struck on Monday night, setting ablaze the building of the National Open University of Nigeria Study Centre in Nsu in Ehime Mbano.
They also set ablaze the country home of Ibezim who is the immediate past senator for Imo North (Okigwe zone).
Ibezim in a statement he issued had said: “I am compelled by our joint sense of purpose and commitment to address some misinformation arising from the TVC news coverage of my recent visit to the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Nsu Study Centre.
“I was accompanied by the Federal Commissioner for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
“First, I must clarify that the video of refugees attached to the TVC broadcast, which has caused understandable anxiety, was not filmed in Imo State. The insinuation that there is intent to settle IDPs, refugees, or migrant persons at the NOUN Nsu Centre is entirely false.
“As a responsible stakeholder when I see an opportunity for our community, I must act. Obviously, there are mischief-makers who aim to distort my genuine intentions. So, for the purpose of clarity, let me set the record straight as follows: NOUN Nsu is a federal, multi-disciplinary educational institution, open to qualified applicants from across Nigeria and beyond, just like all other federal institutions in the country”.
He added: “The facilities at NOUN Nsu are already in use, with over 200 students enrolled since its commencement in October 2023, and further intake is ongoing. Our visit was for two federal agencies to assess these facilities to determine if they could be used for training in specialized skills, following our request to utilize the already built incubation centre”.
“This is the third agency of government (Michael Okpara University and the Biotechnology Agency, prior), to undertake this assessment and adaptability visit for the purpose of evaluating the facilities for training”.
“We believe that if the training facilities meet their requirements, we would be pleased to have these agencies collaborate with NOUN Nsu to train qualifying candidates. While it is understandable that the visiting agency’s name included ‘refugees’, this does not encompass their full mandate. They also work to equip communities with the necessary skills through integrative programmes. “The agency is not seeking to resettle or relocate any refugees. They aim to use the existing facilities to train eligible individuals from time to time.
“As I stated in the NTA News coverage, it is crucial for the government to focus on utilizing existing government infrastructure completed in the last administration instead of constructing new ones, especially in the face of scarce resources and the hardships faced by our citizens”.
“For emphasis, I must restate that there are no plans to settle IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons), refugees or migrants at the National Open University Centre, Nsu, Ehime Mbano LGA. Any such claim is categorically false. I will never be part of such a plan. The plan is for skills training for our vulnerable young people from the South East”.
The state government through the information commissioner has equally refuted the viral video on Monday.
It debunked speculations that the federal government has established an Internally Displaced Persons camp in Ehime Mbano Local Government area of the state.
The Commissioner for Information Public Orientation and Strategy, Mr. Declan Emelumba, who disclosed this in Owerri explained that what was being built at Nsu was a training facility for skills acquisition programmes for the people of the South East and not for Nigerians from other parts of the country.
Emelumba regretted that “enemies of Nigeria decided to distort harmless Information from the National Refugees Commission so as to pitch Igbos against other parts of the country”.
“The purveyor of the disinformation is a notorious propagandist who had severally dished out seditious materials, from his infamous” hate speech gospel ministry”, to set the nation on fire.
“The training centre at Ehime Mbano was the South East slot as other geo-political zones got their own slots and would train their own people accordingly. At no time was it contemplated that refugees would be brought from either the North or the West to be trained in Imo state?”
