‘Files destroyed’ as gunmen set Imo high court ablaze

The high court in Orlu LGA of Imo state has been set ablaze by gunmen.

The gunmen were said to have attacked the complex which houses a magistrate court and the high court in the early hours of Saturday.

Files were reportedly destroyed in the incident, but it is not yet clear if there were casualties.

Michael Abattam, Imo police spokesperson, did not respond to calls or messages when contacted to comment on the incident.

Meanwhile, the development comes four years after a similar incident.

In 2018, two magistrate courts and the high court were affected when gunmen set the building housing the courts in Orlu LGA ablaze.

The burning of the court comes amid several attacks in Imo over the past months, which have resulted in killings, abductions, and destruction of property.

Hours before the attack on the court, gunmen killed Christopher Eleghu, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) for Onuimo constituency in the Imo state house of assembly.

On December 12, gunmen attacked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) head office in Owerri, the Imo capital.

The gunmen attacked the INEC building with locally-made explosives, but the police officers stationed at the office were said to have confronted the gunmen, killing three persons in the process.

A section of the INEC facility in Owerri was, however, razed.

In September, Joel Ndenkwo, traditional ruler of Isiala Umudi autonomous community in Nkwerre LGA of the state, was abducted by gunmen.

Ndenkwo has since regained his freedom.