The Ebonyi State Police Command, on Tuesday, said its tactical team killed four members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network(ESN), during a shootout in some communities in the State.
The Command also said it recovered from the camp of the suspects 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, GPMG, about 30 military uniforms, IPOB uniforms, Biafran flag and 6 bags of Indian hemp.
Briefing the press in Abakaliki, the State capital, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Chris Anyanwu, said that men of the tactical team swooped on the camp of the hoodlums in Umuleje Amaeze, Nkalaha in Ishielu local government area of the State.
According to him, one of the suspects arrested earlier, led the team to the hideout of the suspects in a very thick forest, adding that there is a lot of IPOB/ESN camps within and around 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 ensuring gun battle, the hoodlums were overwhelmed by police superior fire power.
“Two of the hoodlums had fatal bullet injury, two were neutralized on the spot, one was arrested while others ran into different directions”, he said.
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 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 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.
The Police Public Relations Officer said that the hoodlums also engaged in the sale of arms stolen from police formations.
