The Police in Enugu State have said they raided the camp of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in Agu-Ibeje forest, Enugu-Ezike, Igbo-Eze North local government area in Enugu State.
The State’s Police Command spokesman, Daniel Ndukwe, yesterday said the Command’s tactical squads and ‘Operation Restore Peace’ carried out a tactical and intelligence-driven dusk-to-dawn raid on the IPOB/ESN camp between August 11 and 12. According to him, the raid was in pursuance of the crime-fighting strategies devised by the State’s Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Lawal.
The Police spokesman said the hoodlums, on sighting the police operatives, engaged them in a gun duel, which led to the neutralisation of one of them, adding that several others escaped with varying degrees of fatal gunshot wounds, due to the superior firepower of the operatives.
Ndukwe further stated that 98 live cartridges, two machetes, one digger, one battle axe and one hacksaw were recovered. According to him, five motor vehicles, including three Toyota Sienna minivans, one Honda Pilot Jeep and one Hiace (Hummer) bus loaded with assorted local fabrics were also retrieved.
He added that 20 different brands of motorcycles with their number plates removed; one police bullet-proof vest, one pair of police camouflage uniform, one pair of military camouflage uniform with a cap and a military singlet were found in the camp. He listed several other items including the Biafra flag, and 22 different brands of mobile phones, among others.
The Police spokesman said that all the items recovered were snatched from their owners at different times within the area by the hoodlums.
