Gunmen reportedly set fire to the Imo State High Court building in Orlu on Saturday, destroying a portion of the structure that housed sensitive documents.
The development comes just a few days after gunmen attacked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Owerri.
According to reports, the complex houses both the high court and a magistrates’ court.
According to a member of the judiciary who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, all of the files in the building were destroyed.
The Orlu high court is in close proximity to a security checkpoint and the police divisional headquarters.
The Supreme Court was demolished in 2018. On December 1, the INEC office in Orlu was similarly set ablaze.
Barnabas Munonye, the Nigerian Bar Association’s Orlu Branch Chairman, who confirmed the incident, described it as unfortunate.
He stated that the incident was brought to his attention by the association’s administrative secretary early Saturday morning.
CSP Mike Abattam, the spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command, confirmed the incident and said police had launched an investigation.