Security agents arrest five suspected IPOB members in Anambra and Imo raids

Troops of the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army on Monday raided the suspected hideouts of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the Orsomoghu forest of Anambra and Imo States.

The Director of Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the raids were carried out in conjunction with the police and other security agencies.

The operations, according to him, followed reports on the group’s disruptive activities in Onitsha, Nnewi, and Iheme Obosi in Anambra State as well as the New Market in Enugu state.

The spokesman revealed that five suspected members of the group were arrested in the operations.

Nwachukwu said: “The troops cleared Ekeututu, Orsomoghu, Lilu, and Mother Valley camps belonging to the separatist group. Encounters with armed fighters from the group led to exchanges of fire.

READ ALSO: Ekpa insists on sit-at-home in S’East, says alleged letter from IPOB leader, Kanu, is fake

“Despite the group’s deployment of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and locally fabricated mortar tubes, the valiant troops overcame the resistance, causing the militants to flee their positions with gunshot wounds.

“The subsequent search operation by the troops led to the arrest of five fleeing group members and the recovery of an IPOB flag, a CCTV camera, two detonated IED bombs, and a fabricated mortar tube.

“Unfortunately, five soldiers and two Nigeria Police operatives sustained various degrees of injuries from the IEDs detonated by the criminals.

The Nigerian Army urged all law-abiding citizens of the South-East to continue their normal daily activities and businesses, disregarding the unlawful two-week sit-at-home order.

“They also encouraged citizens to support ongoing operations with actionable information. The Army, in synergy with sister services and security agencies, vows to persistently protect and safeguard lives and property within the framework of the law.”

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