Imo monarch narrowly escapes death as hoodlums raze palace, vehicles
By Emma Ogbuehi
The spate of physical attacks on traditional rulers in Imo State accentuated on Sunday when the residence of the traditional ruler of the Ndia Iche Arondizuogu community in the Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State, Eze Kanu Ikenolu, was razed by armed hoodlums.
The traditional ruler, however, narrowly escaped death as the hoodlums did not meet him at home when they arrived his palace, it was gathered.
The hoodlums, who stormed the home of the monarch in the early hours of Sunday, shot sporadically causing panic in the community as villagers, including the monarch’s family fled into the bushes for their safety.
It was learnt the attackers also threw explosives into the mansion, which led to the massive destruction of the house, properties and vehicles parked at the compound.
After the attack, the compound which houses the traditional ruler’s home and palace was littered with the debris from the destroyed building.
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A villager who did not want to be named for security reasons said that properties worth millions of Naira were destroyed by the hoodlums.
He decried the police’s inability to intervene on time as they were told that the hoodlums were attacking the monarch’s home.
The villager said: “The palace of HRH Eze Ikenolu, the Eze of Ndia Iche Arondizuogu has been invaded by gunmen and the people are in the bushes now.”
He wondered why “Until now no response came from the police to stop the hoodlums from further destruction of the palace of HRH Eze Kanu in Ndianiche Arondizuogu, 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.”
Imo Police spokesman, Henry Okoye, who confirmed the arson to newsmen, said: “Frantic efforts are on top gear to arrest the arsonists and bring them to justice.”