Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra state says those who burnt Ekwulobia, the headquarters of Aguata Local Government Area, are not from the state.
WITHIN NIGERIA had reported earlier on Thursday how the LG secretariat including shops and vehicles parked in the area were razed by gunmen.
The governor, who wondered why Igbos were inflicting damages on themselves, said the arsonists were from other neighbouring south east states.
Governor Soludo reveals that the destruction of the LG headquarters was perpetrated by criminals fleeing the onslaught of advancing Nigerian security forces.
Soludo said the criminals were routed and chased from their operational camp and hideout by the security forces.
He stated that military operations at the borders of Aguluezechukwu and Ogborji communities in the Local Government had led to the routing of the criminal elements who he said had been operating in the areas for over two years.
He said ”They were smoked out, the camp destroyed and as they were fleeing cowardly, they decided to set the Local Government Secretariat ablaze but thank God the police came on time and smoked them out.
“From the statistics so far, 85 per cent of people arrested come from one of the states in the South East and the remaining 15 per cent from another state in the Southeast.
”It is really our people doing this to themselves.”