Police Neutralise IPOB members, Recover Military Hand Grenades, Other Items

Police in Ebonyi State have announced the killing of four members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) during a shootout in some communities in the state.

Items recovered from the camp of the suspects include 13 military hand grenades suspected to have been fabricated in Russia, 210 electrical detonators, 2 Lexus 300 Jeeps, 5 motorcycles of different makes, 2 pump actions, many single barrel guns, many ammunition of AK 47 and GPNG and about 30 military uniforms.

Vanguard reports that one of the IPOB suspects who was arrested earlier led the team of police operatives to the hideout of the suspects in a very thick forest. 

The Spokesman of the Police in Ebonyi, Chris Anyanwu said that operatives swooped on the hoodlums in the camp at Umuleje, Amaeze and Nkalaha communities in Ishielu Local Government Area of the State.

“The hoodlums who sighted the first set of the operatives opened fire on them, but the tactical team had cordoned off the area and in the ensuing gun battle, the hoodlums were overwhelmed by police superior firepower.

“Two of the hoodlums had fatal bullet injury, two were neutralized on the spot, one was arrested while others ran into different directions.”

He noted that the day the men of the command invaded the hideout of the hoodlums was the market day of the community, adding that some of the hoodlums who ran into the market were seen shooting sporadically and looting the goods of the traders in the community.

Anyanwu maintained that the youths of the village in collaboration with the vigilante apprehended one of the hoodlums whom they were calling an unknown gunman and handed him over to the police.

He said that men of the command destroyed the camps of the hoodlums and recovered items used in unleashing mayhem on the people.

Anyanwu added that other items recovered were IPOB uniforms, the Biafran flag, 6 bags of Indian hemp and many others.

The Police Public Relations Officer said that the hoodlums also engaged in the sale of arms stolen from police formations.