The Nigerian Army destroyed the hideout of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra in Delta state yesterday.
The Asaba enclave was destroyed during a clearance operation carried out by troops from the 6 Division.
According to Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu, the members of the group engaged the troops in a fierce gun battle but were defeated.
The statement read: “In a sustained effort to rid Nigeria of criminality, troops of 63 Brigade Garrison under the auspices of 6 Division, Nigerian Army and the Department of State Services, (DSS), have in an ongoing Clearance Operation, destroyed an enclave of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network at Asaba, Delta State.
He said, “The troops raided the fortified enclave located in the middle of forested high ground in the early hours of the morning. The troops overpowered the IPOB fighters in the exchange of fire that ensued, forcing them to flee their hideout in disarray”, adding that one of them had been arrested and that weapons had been recovered from the hideout.
“The troops captured one of the fleeing fighters and recovered five AK-47 Rifles, three Pump Action semi-automatic rifles, one G3 rifle, and one single barrel gun. Other items recovered include live cartridges, electric saws, machetes, an axe, and an IPOB flag”, the statement added.
According to Onyema, the Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Taoreed Lagbaja, troops are searching the forest for fleeing fighters, and praised them and other security agencies for their efforts in the ongoing operations urging them to keep the momentum going.
