Crimes

Troops kill IPOB members in Ebonyi, arrest collaborator in Enugu

The troops of 82 Division, Nigerian Army, in conjunction with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the Department of State Services (DSS) on Exercise Golden Dawn II have killed many members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) at Nkalaha in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

This is just as the troops arrested a suspect, Martins Abogwu, in Agubeji, Enugu State, for conniving with IPOB/ESN members to unleash attacks on the citizens.

The army spokesperson, Brig.- Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this via a statement made available to The Star on Wednesday.

Nwachukwu noted that the security operatives, in raid operations conducted on Monday, recovered 102 rounds of 7.62mm special, 2 Pump Action guns, 5 locally made rifles, 1 roll of detonator 27, quantity 24 detonators, 33 electrical cables, quantity 12 of type 36 hand grenades, and 12 bags of substances suspected to be Marijuana from the gunmen.

According to him, other items recovered include 3 motorcycles, 2 generators, 1 water pumping machine, military woodland camouflage, and police uniform.

Speaking on the arrest of Abogwu in Enugu State, the army spokesperson said the suspect, who claimed to be the Chief Security Officer of the community has been assisting in the preliminary investigations that followed his arrest.

Nwachukwu stated that the arrested has led troops to the gunmen’s camp, where a shallow grave containing two decomposing bodies were uncovered.

“One of the corpses has been identified as a member of the local vigilante, who was kidnapped about a month ago,” he added.

He, however, reassured Nigerians of the army’s “unwavering resolve, in synergy with other services and security agencies to deny criminal elements the freedom of action and progressively rid the nation of identified threats to national security by executing its constitutional responsibilities in conformity with extant rules of engagement.”

The army spokesperson urged Nigerians to work harmoniously with the security agencies to collectively make the South-East and the entire country secured and peaceful.

The Star