OWERRI, NIGERIA — The Imo State Police Command has announced the arrest of 26 individuals suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and alleged enforcers of the group’s sit-at-home orders.
These arrests came in the aftermath of a violent attack on a birthday celebration in a hotel near Irete.
The Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde, revealed to journalists in Owerri on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, that the arrests were made possible due to the quick action of the Command’s tactical team, working in tandem with operatives of the 18 Police Mobile Force.
The team was mobilized to the scene after residents reported the presence of IPOB members in the hotel.
“Unfortunately, a lifeless body, later identified as Remigius Emeka Njoku, a relative to the celebrant, was seen lying on the floor in his pool of blood,” Barde recounted, painting a tragic picture of the incident.
“The outlawed IPOB and ESN unlawful sit-at-home enforcers immediately opened fire on sighting police operatives,” he continued, “but they were overwhelmed by the dexterity, stiff resistance, and superior firepower of the police, which forced them to flee to the adjourning bush with various degrees of gunshot injuries.”
As police searched the area, they found evidence of blood trails in the adjacent bush, suggesting that some of the attackers were injured.
A further search of the hotel yielded one AK-47 rifle, 48 rounds of live ammunition, four pump-action guns, 18 rounds of live cartridges, two AK-47 magazines, and a face mask.
Barde confirmed that 26 suspects had been arrested and are currently undergoing screening.
He concluded by stating that “investigation is ongoing, and certainly the suspects will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of a diligent investigation.”
The ongoing violence associated with the outlawed IPOB continues to pose a significant challenge for the state’s security services.
