Police overrun IPOB/ ESN bases in Imo, kill commander

The Imo State Police Command at the weekend overrun the operational base of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Imo State. The State Police Command disclosed that the police killed the Orlu sector Commander of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Chidera Nnabuhe, a.k.a. Dragon, and two other IPOB members during a major raid on the IPOB/ESN camp in Amaifeke, Orlu Local Government Area, Imo State.

The Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Imo Police Command, Micheal Abattam,  in a statement, indicated that  the police commenced the operation on the hoodlums’ hideout after diligently obtaining technical intelligence revealing that members of the proscribed group were sighted in an uncompleted building in a valley in the area.

He said that the criminals on sighting the police, noting that the tactical team engaged them in a gun fight, which resulted in three fatalities and two arrests.  Other members were said to have escaped into the jungle with gunshot wounds.

It was noted that searching the camp and the  surroundings, the police tactical squad found a slain native goat, having the blood drained into a jar and rubbed on their bodies for purported fortification against police bullets. The police added that items recovered include two locally fabricated general purpose machine gun, 16 improvised explosive devices and one English made pump action gun. Other items included two locally made pistols, 37 rounds of live cartridges, three automatic machine guns kick starter, one bomb detonator, three automatic guns connecting batteries, a large container containing gun powder, charms, two Biafran flags, three bomb detonator remote controls, and six different makes of GSM handsets, among other things.

President Muhammadu Buhari had visited Owerri, Imo State, last week. Before the visit, the President had met with service chiefs and heads of security agencies where instructed them to end all forms of criminalities in the country.

National Daily had last week reported that President Buhari was set to crush IPOB and ESN in the southeast. The operations have commenced in earnest with the overrunning of the IPON and ESN bases by the police in Imo State.