AWKA, Nigeria – In a high-stakes standoff on Friday, April 28, 2023, Anambra State Police arrested three armed robbery suspects who confessed to being members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
The announcement was made by the spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, in a press release in Awka, Anambra State.
The suspects were intercepted by police during a robbery operation when they engaged in a shootout with officers at a checkpoint on Afor Nnobi road.
“The occupants of the vehicle who refused to stop when police flagged them down, started shooting sporadically to escape police screening. The operatives engaged the armed men in a gun battle, rescued one of their victims and arrested three of the gang members suspected to be members,” Ikenga said.
During the altercation, a number of incriminating items were discovered, including three AK-47s, two cell phones, two bulletproof vests, two walkie-talkies, one police uniform (camouflage), four AK-47 magazines, one hundred and twenty-live ammunition, one police belt, one hand glove, a pair of police boots, two police caps, one military T-shirt, and one blue police uniform.
The arrested suspects were identified as Haicynth Ujwuika, aged 45; Sunday Samuel Akpan, aged 31; and Chinonso Offor, aka Wolf, aged 24. In custody, the suspects confessed to being members of the outlawed ESN/IPOB group, revealing the locations of various camps and criminal hideouts where they operated.
Ikenga emphasized the police force’s dedication to fighting crime and ensuring safety for citizens in the state. “We have made significant progress in reducing crime rates and ensuring a sustainable peace for the safety and security of citizens in the State,” he said.
Efforts are currently underway to apprehend the remaining members of the gang who escaped the scene.
