The Imo State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has killed a commander of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) in the state.
The police in a statement released on Sunday said it killed the IPOB/ESN leader after it received intelligence that the agitators are isolated in an uncompleted building situated in a valley in Amaifeke in Orlu LGA of Imo.
The spokesperson of the State Police Command, CSP Michael Abattam, who disclosed this in a statement said the police received technical intelligence that members of the proscribed IPOB/ ESN members were sighted in an isolated uncompleted building situated in a valley in Amaifeke in Orlu LGA of Imo State, planning to resume terror attacks on police formations and government installations in the state.
Abattam stated that on September 11, the command’s tactical teams mobilized and stormed the hideout out of the group located in an uncompleted building in a valley at Essential Home popularly known as ” NGBUKA” in Amaifeke Orlu LGA of Imo State.
The statement read; “The members of the terror group on sighting the police operatives in their hideout opened fire on them . The gallant and battle-ready tactical teams swiftly returned the fire. In the gun duel, three of the hoodlums namely Chidera Nnabuhe, the Orlu Sector Commander of IPOB/ ESN a.k.a “DRAGON”, a native of Umuala Amaifeke in Orlu LGA and two others with a.k.a, J.J and Dadawa both natives of Ohazara in Ebonyi state were neutralised. Emeka Sunday ‘M’ age 20 years of Anike in Ohazara LGA of Ebonyi State and Anthony Okeke ‘M’ age 44 years of Umuala Amaifeke Orlu LGA of Imo were arrested while others escaped into the bush with bullet wounds.
“On searching the camp and its surroundings, a native goat that has just been slaughtered with the blood drained into a container and rub on their bodies to fortify themselves against police bullet was recovered alongside the following items, two locally fabricated General Purpose Machine Gun(GPMG) , Sixteen Improvised Explosives Devices (I.E.Ds), one English made pump action gun, two locally made Pistols, thirty – seven rounds of live cartridges, three Automatic Machine Guns kick-starter, one Bomb detonator, three Automatic Guns connecting batteries, a bag containing Gun Powder, Charms, two Biafran Flags, three bomb detonator remote control, six different makes of GSM handsets, a black traveling bag containing male clothes suspected to have been robbed or belonging to a kidnapped victim with GSM NUMBER 08034958267 pasted on it.”
According to Abattam, the group has been terrorizing the good people of Orlu, adding that investigation revealed that all the violent crimes including the high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies that have been going within the Orlu axis were being masterminded by them.
The spokesperson said most of the members of the group have been on the wanted list of the Police for months especially, Chidera Nnabuhe a.k.a ” DRAGON”, the commander of the Orlu Sector of IPOB/ ESN.
The Police said the investigation is ongoing and the suspects arrested are presently undergoing interrogation and have made useful statements that will aid the police in arresting other members of their gang including the ones that escaped with bullet wounds.
