The Nigerian Police on Saturday claimed to have invaded three training camps of the ‘Eastern Security Network,’ (ESN), the armed group of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and allegedly arrested some yet to be identified leaders of the group.
According to the police, the operation was carried out by the Imo State Command’s tactical units, IRT, and special forces in the early hours of Saturday.
The Special Adviser on Media to the Imo State Police Commissioner, CSP Mike Abatam said this in a statement.
The statement also said without providing any valid evidence that the criminal elements escaped into the forest as they were overrun by the police team during a gun battle.
The statement also claimed that some items like weapons, charms, stolen cars, gun powders, and drugs were recovered from the group’s camp.
According to the police, the three camps are located at Atta in Ikeduru, Izombie in Oguta, and Ideato North local government.
“Due to the superior firepower of the Police, the hoodlums were overrun by the tactical units while some of the hoodlums escaped with bullets wounds into the forest.
“Several weapons, stolen cars, explosives, gun powders, charms, lPOB/ESN flags, ammunitions, bags of Indian Hemps, tramadol tablets and many other hard drugs were recovered,” part of the statement read.
The leadership of IPOB has severally debunked similar claims in the past by the Nigerian police to have clamped down on its armed members, alleging that the police are arresting innocent Imo citizens and tagging them ESN leaders, as ESN’s assignment is in the bush.
Southeast leaders, both home and abroad have cried out in their numbers against the senseless killings of youths going on in Imo State.
ESN is the armed division of IPOB created by the leader of the pro-Biafran agitators, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu with the primary duty of fighting the Fulani Killer herdsmen who rape, kidnap, and kill local community members in the South East region of Nigeria.
, the armed group of the){kind=link}