Police kill two in IPOB Enugu camp raid

Operatives of the Enugu State Police Command on Wednesday killed two members of the Eastern Security Network, the militant wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra during a raid of their camp in a forest in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of the state.

The operation, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said was carried out by operatives of the command serving in Igbo-Etiti Division in collaboration with the Neighborhood Watch Group.

According to Ndukwe, the incident happened on Wednesday at about 2 am, following an intelligence report about their activities.

The PPRO claimed that victims opened fire on the operatives upon sighting them.

“However, the operatives returned fire at a superior level, forcing the criminals to escape with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.

“Thereafter, two of the fleeing suspects’ lifeless bodies were discovered in the forest, along with one AK-47 rifle, four magazines loaded with a total of 75 live 7.62 mm calibre ammunition, and one Beretta pistol loaded with eight live .9 mm calibre ammunition,” he said.

Other items recovered, according to the statement are “One KC Sanya and Honda Today ladies motorcycles, one GTB ATM card, a cash sum of N2,600 and several raw food items.

The manhunt for others on the run is ongoing.

“Preliminary investigations suggest that the group is responsible for numerous heinous crimes in the Nsukka area of Enugu State, including the recent attack and murder of police and other security personnel.,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, he said the state Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu, had commended the team for the operational success while calling on owners of medical outfits to quickly report individuals sighted with gunshot wounds to the police.

He further directed Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, and Heads of Tactical Squads to remain steadfast and ensure that they further identify hideouts and hunt down diehard criminal elements in their respective operational jurisdictions.

Similarly, in March 2024, the command announced the killing of two members of the ESN during a raid on their camp.

A statement by the command’s spokesman, Ndukwe, indicated that one AK-47 rifle, one submachine gun, one stainless pump-action gun, 27 live and 23 expended rounds of 7.62 mm calibre ammunition were recovered after the raid.

Ndukwe said that the intelligence-guided raid was carried out by operatives of the command serving in the Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad, on March 30, 2024, at about 2:30 a.m. in their camp in Akwuke community, Enugu South Local Government Area of the state.