Three IPOB members killed, nine others arrested in Imo

 

Three members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have been killed after engaging men of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) in a gun battle.

Spokesman for the Imo State Police Command, CSP Micheal Abattam said the command’s tactical teams carried out a raid on Monday February 7, after credible intelligence gathering and surveillance of some identified camps of the terror group located at Okwudo in Njaba LGA of Imo State and Umuorji Mgbidi in Oru West LGA of Imo State respectively.

Members of the proscribed group were dislodged after a fierce gun battle. They reportedly suffered heavy casualties and in the process, lost three of their members while nine others were arrested with various degrees of bullet wounds.

Those arrested have been identified as Ekene Abiaziem age 31 years m of Mgbidi, Emmanuel Nwabueze m age 58 years of Mgbidi, Ifeanyi Eze m age 38 years of Mgbidi, Izunna Chukwukezie m age 39 years of Okwudo, Ejike Onuabuike m age 44 years of Okwudo, Chukwuebuka Elvis Nkonta m age 27 years of Okwudo, Jerohm Amaiah m 33 years of Okwudo, Chukwuebuka Nwachukwu m age 23 years of Okwudo and Chimobi Ogbonna m age 27 years of Awomama to the station.

Upon combing the bush and searching the camps, the officers recovered, three automatic pump action guns, four locally made pistols, twenty-one (21) rounds of live cartridges, four locally made Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDS) were recovered. 

Other items recovered include, five sharpened cutlasses, five rounds of 7.62 mm live AK47 rifle ammunition, four rounds of 5.56 mm live assault rifle ammunition, one big rubber drum containing substances suspected to be Indian hemp.

The policemen also recovered a good quantity of Ice Hard Drugs suspected to be “Mkpurumiri”, one live tortoise, assorted black charms, four Biafran flags, several Biafran/MASSOB Identity cards, three battle axes, four Biafran berets and assorted phones.

CSP Abattam noted that while investigation is ongoing, the three corpses have been deposited at Federal Medical Center Mortuary Owerri.

The police spokesperson said investigations have uncovered that the suspects are the ones terrorising the people of Imo State.

He further stated that the suspects orchestrated several reported cases of kidnapping and armed robbery, adding that they have made useful statement and have volunteered to assist the police in the arrested of his members of their gang presently, on the run.