Yet-to-be identified armed hoodlums have set ablaze the palace of the traditional ruler of the Ndianiche Arondizuogu community in the Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State, Eze Kanu Ikenolu.
His vehicles and properties were not spared when the hoodlums stormed the home of the monarch in the early hours of Sunday and threw explosives into the mansion.
The monarch narrowly escaped death as the hoodlums did not meet him at home when they arrived at his palace, The Nation reported.
A villager who pleaded anonymity for security reasons said that properties worth millions were destroyed by the hoodlums.
The villager also expressed frustration over the police’s delayed response, as they were informed that the hoodlums were storming the monarch’s residence.
”The palace of HRH Eze Ikenolu, the Eze of Ndianiche Arondizuogu has been invaded by the gunmen and the people are in the bushes now.
“Until now, no response from the police to stop the hoodlums from further destruction of the palace of HRH Eze Kanu, where cars, houses, and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.
“Anytime Arondizuogu is under siege, the police hardly come to the people’s rescue, it makes us also wonder if the place is no longer part of Imo State,” he said
Confirming the incident, the Imo Police spokesman, Henry Okoye, said efforts were on to arrest the perpetrators.
Okoye said, “Frantic efforts are on top gear to arrest the arsonists and bring them to justice.”
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