The Ojukwu Memorial Library building in Owerri, the Imo State capital, was yesterday night reduced to rubble by unknown persons.
The building, located at 2 Ralph Uwazuruike Street, Area G, New Owerri was being built by the leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Ezeigbo, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, in honour of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
The building, when completed, would have also served as a research centre on Igbo studies.
The MASSOB leader, who was not around at the time of the incident, said he had gone to Oraifite for the burial ceremony of Mr. Emeka Okwuosa’s father in company of Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu.
According to him, it was on his way back that he received a call from one of his members informing him that the building had been pulled down by unknown persons.
“I had gone to Oraifite in Anambra State with her Excellency, IyomBianca Ojukwu, for the burial ceremony of the late father of Mr. Emeka Okwuosa; on my way back to Owerri, I received a call from one of my members that some people had demolished the Ojukwu Memorial Library in Owerri. He said those who carried out the act were seen escaping in a 406 Peugeot car.
“But I don’t know those who are responsible for this dastardly act but we intend to find out,” Chief Uwazuruike said.
He further disclosed that in the past two weeks his security personnel had reported seeing some strange faces surveying the site but that he had told them not to challenge them to avoid clashes.
However, one of the MASSOB members, Sunday Peters, narrating his experience, said that when they heard a loud explosion, they immediately rushed to the site only to see about four men scaling the fence to the back street where they parked their 406 Peugeot car with which they made their escape. [National Mirror]
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