A delegation from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has visited the institution’s study centre in Imo State to investigate the controversial arson attack that razed the campus.
On September 1, unknown hoodlums set ablaze NOUN’s study centre in the Ezeoke Nsu community of Ehime Mbano LGA, Imo State.
The attack also targeted the residence of Frank Ibezim, former senator for Imo North, located at Ezeoke-Nsu in the Ehime Mbano LGA.
The arson attack was sparked by an unconfirmed report claiming the federal government planned to renovate the NOUN facility as a training ground for repentant insurgents from the Northern part of the country.
Ibrahim Sheme, NOUN’s Director of Media and Publicity, condemned the rumour as “the concoction of misguided elements”
“We are aware that the police have since swung into action to apprehend the perpetrators of the heinous crime,” Sheme said.
Sheme said Olufemi Peters, the vice-chancellor of NOUN, assures the Ezeoke Nsu study centre students and the general public that academic activities there would not be interrupted by the sad occurrence.
“Academic activities by our students in the Ezeoke Nsu study centre will continue unabated as they will be assigned to the Study Centres nearest to them,” he quoted the VC as saying.
“We sympathise with Senator Frank Ibezim over the razing of his residence by the hoodlums.
“We are grateful to the leaders and members of the Ezeoke Nsu community for their sympathy and support for us in the current situation.
“We assure them that their study centre will return ever more strong in the shortest possible time.”
The delegation assessed the damage and gathered facts surrounding the incident.
The Imo State government has pledged to investigate the attack and bring perpetrators to justice.