(FILE PHOTO) Police: Kill IPOB/ESN Commander, 2 others in Imo

The police in Imo said a commander of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN)  and two other members have been killed in a raid on the  camp of the separatist agitation group in Amaifeke in the Orlu Local Government Area of the State.

While revealing this in a statement on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, CSP Michael Abattam, said the raid on the camp was based on a concrete intelligence that members of the proscribed IPOB/ ESN members were sighted in an isolated uncompleted building in the area planning to resume terror attacks on police formations and government installations in the state.

The PPRO in the statement said, “On 11/9/2021 at about 1230 hours, the command’s tactical teams immediately mobilised and stormed the hideout of the terror group located in an uncompleted building in a valley at Essential Home popularly known as “Ngbuka”, Amaifeke Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State.

“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.

He added that two others, Emeka Sunday, 20, 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.

According to him, on searching the camp and its surroundings, a native goat that have just been slaughtered with the blood drained into a container and rub on their bodies to fortify themselves against police bullets was recovered alongside two locally fabricated General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), 16 Improvised Explosives Devices (I.E.Ds), one English made pump action gun, two locally made Pistols, 37 rounds of live cartridges, three Automatic Machine Guns kick-starter, one Bomb detonator, three Automatic Guns connecting batteries, a big bag containing Gun Powder, Charms, two Biafran Flags, three bomb detonator remote control, among others.