Ebonyi police kill four IPOB/ESN members, recover hand grenades

Ebonyi State Police Command says its tactical team has killed four members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN), during a shootout.

Thirteen military hand grenades suspected to have been fabricated in Russia among other items were recovered.

Briefing Journalists in Abakaliki, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Chris Anyanwu, said that men of the tactical team swooped on the hoodlums in the camp at Umuleje Amaeze, Nkalaha in Ishielu Local Government Area of the State.

Anyanwu said that one of the suspects arrested earlier, led the team to the hideout 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 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 injuries, two were neutralized on the spot, and one was arrested while others ran in 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 different directions went into the market and were 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 the men of the team destroyed the camps of the hoodlums and recovered items they use in unleashing mayhem on the people.

Items recovered from the camp include 13 Military hand grenades suspected to have been fabricated in Russia.

Others include 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.

Anyanwu said that other items are IPOB uniforms, the Biafran flag, 6 bags of Indian hemp and many others.

He said that the hoodlums also engage in the sale of arms stolen from police formations during attacks adding that youths of warring communities also take arms acquired illegally to the hoodlums which they use to carry out their evil plans.