By Pascal Ibe

An old video of fire incident which happened at Hausa community in August 2023, is currently in circulation on various social media platforms.

Social media users who posted the video, claimed angry protesters attacked Avu market.

But in a statement, the Imo State Police Command said it’s misleading.

The police spokesperson, Henry Okoye said it was a deliberate and concerted effort by mischief makers to mislead the general public by publishing on social media an old video with comments in Hausa language, depicting that the AVU Market, has been attacked and raised down by angry protesters and wish to unequivocally state that the video is misleading and unfounded.

Okoye stated that the alleged fire outbreak occurred at Avu Market in 2023.

”The Command, therefore, calls on the general public to disregard the misleading video which was targeted at causing unnecessary apprehension among the residents of the State, and go about their lawful businesses, as the police in synergy with other security are on guard to ensure that Imo remains safe.

”In addition, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, has tasked the State Intelligence Department to unravel the originator and peddlers of the misleading information.

”The CP urged Imolites to exercise caution when reading or watching news content as all forms of misinformation are harmful to public safety.

”He reaffirms the command’s commitment to partnering with other sister agencies to ensure that there is no destruction of either private or public properties.

In a report by Tribune Online on August 1, 2023,, the Traditional Ruler and Sarkin Hausawa of Northern communities in Imo State, Alhaji Auwal Baba-Sulaiman dismissed the alleged attack on the northerners dwelling in the state describing it as a rumour and misleading.

Baba-Sulaiman said that the reports are misleading, unfounded, divisive and aimed at disrupting national peace and unity adding that the northern community has never been attacked by the state government or its agents.

He said: “Northerners, no matter where they dwell in the country remain committed to peaceful coexistence and remain a force for peace and national cohesion.”

The Northern leader said that the leadership stands completely against any and every effort to incite ethnic conflict in Imo and other parts of the country with the use of fake news.

He, however, warned purveyors of the report to desist from misinforming the public but to present the activities of the Hope Uzodinma-led government for what they truly are and to endeavor to verify the veracity of information before sending it out for public consumption.

While pledging the commitment of the northern communities to peaceful coexistence with residents of the state, Baba-Sulaiman said that the northerners residing in the state have continued to enjoy the peace and cooperation of their host communities

Baba-Sulaiman, however, praised the state government for its efforts at tackling criminality while clarifying that northerners in the state have never been targets of attack by the government.

Tribune Online gathered that the Imo State government in a bid to rid the state of criminals, recently raided forests and demolished shanties in various dangerous locations in Owerri and its environs suspected to be hideouts of illicit drugs traders, kidnappers and child traffickers.

Some northerners in the affected communities were however affected as their settlements were torched in the process.