Again, arsonists raze local council headquarters in Anambra

Suspected arsonists on Monday razed the council headquarters of Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria’s South-east.

The incident occurred at about 2 a.m. on Monday.

A Magistrate Court and an office belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, inside the council headquarters, were also razed, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the attack to PREMIUM TIMES.

He described the attack as “unfortunate.”

He said no life was lost in the incident, but that some parts of the building and some vehicles parked at the council headquarters were destroyed by the fire.

Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said security officials, who arrived early, contained the fire to save the entire structure from being completely destroyed.

He said the security officials were assisted by some residents.

“It is a suspected case of arson,” he said.

“The fire has been successfully put off. The level of damage that these hoodlums wanted to cause to the infrastructure was not as serious as they wanted it,” Mr Ikenga added.

The attack comes barely one month after gunmen razed the headquarters of Aguata Local Government Area in the state.

Many people were feared killed in the incident.

The latest is the third attack to be reported in a local council headquarters in nearly three months since Charles Soludo took over as governor of Anambra State.

A security guard was killed on March 31, when gunmen razed the headquarters of the Nnewi South Local Government Area in the state.

The latest attack on the headquarters of Idemili North Local Government Area occurred less than 24 hours after gunmen killed a motorcyclist and abducted a lawmaker in the state.

Soludo’s visit to IPOB leader

The State Governor, Charles Soludo, about two days ago, visited Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in detention on Friday.

Mr Soludo said the visit to the IPOB leader was part of his “wider consultations with critical stakeholders” to ensure lasting peace and security in the South-east.

Attacks by armed men have increased in recent times in Anambra and other states in the South-east.

The attacks are often targeted at security agencies and government facilities.

The Nigerian government has accused IPOB of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the South-east. But the group has repeatedly denied their involvement in them.

The separatist group is leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south.

Mr Kanu, leader of the group, is expected to appear in court on Wednesday, May 18, for the continuation of his trial.