BY OBINNA OGBONNAYA, Abakaliki
Men and officers of the Ebonyi State police command have killed four members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra and Eastern Security Network (IPOB/ESN).
The victims were killed by operatives of the Tactical Unit of the command during a shoot-out. The police said 13 military hand Grenade suspected to have been fabricated in Russia among other items were recovered from the criminals.
Briefing journalists in Abakaliki, the state capital yesterday, the police public relations officer, Mr Chris Anyanwu said men of the tactical team swooped on the camp of the hoodlums in Umuleje Amaeze, Nkalaha in Ishielu local government area.
Anyanwu said that one of the suspects arrested during the last raid of the IPOB/ESN camp also in Ebonyi who was assisting the police in investigation led the team to the hideout of the hoodlums in a very thick forest, adding that there is a lot of IPOB/ESN camps within and around the state.
The command spokesperson stated that when the detectives were moving into the camp the hoodlums sighted them but unknown to them that the team had strategically planned on how to swoop on them.
“The hoodlums saw the first set of the operatives and opened fire on them, while they were doing that, the tactical team cordoned off the area and there was a heavy shoot out between them and the tactical team and at the end of the day, we had a superior fire power and subdued them.
“Two of the hoodlums had fatal bullet injuries (killed), two were neutralized on the spot, one was arrested while others ran into different directions,” he said.
He said the day the men of the command invaded the hideout of the hoodlums was the market day of the community adding that some of the hoodlums who ran into different directions went into the market and were shooting sporadically and looting the goods of the traders in the community.
Anyanwu maintained that the youths of the village in collaboration with the Vigilante apprehended one of the hoodlums whom they were calling unknown gunmen and handed him over to the police.
He said that men of the team destroyed the camps of the hoodlums and recovered items they use in unleashing mayhem on the people of the area.
He said that items recovered from the camp include, 13 military hand grenade suspected to have been fabricated in Russia. Others include 210 electrical detonators, 2 Luxus 300 Jeeps, 5 motorcycles of different makes, two pump actions, many single barrel guns, many ammunition of AK 47 and GPNG and about 30 military uniforms.
Anyanwu said that other items are IPOB uniforms, Biafran flag, 6 bags of Indian hemp and many others.
The police spokesperson said the hoodlums also engage in the sale of arms stolen from police formations during attack adding that youths of warring communities also take arms acquired illegally to the hoodlums which they use to carry out their evil plans.
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