The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has reportedly killed 3 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) during a gun battle.
CSP Micheal Abattam, the Spokesman for the Imo State Police Command, 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.
Both the police and the IPOB members were engaged in a fierce gun battle which led to the death of three of their members with others sustaining injuries.
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Nine person however were arrested with various degrees of bullet wounds.
Those arrested have been identified as Ekene Abiaziem, 31, Emmanuel Nwabueze, 58, Ifeanyi Eze, 38, Izunna Chukwukezie, 39, Ejike Onuabuike, 44, Chukwuebuka Elvis Nkonta, 27, Jerohm Amaiah, 33, Chukwuebuka Nwachukwu, 23 and Chimobi Ogbonna, 27.
The officers who searched their camp after the incident recovered, three automatic pump action guns, four locally made pistols, twenty-one (21) rounds of live cartridges, four locally made Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDS).
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 added 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.