Police Raid ESN Camp In Imo, Recover Weapons, Others

Three automatic pump-action guns, 31 live rounds of ammunition, 59 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, one police hand grenade and more were recovered from Eastern Security Network (ESN) agents in a recent operation by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Imo State, Naija News learnt.

The Police Command in the state confirmed the development in a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesperson, Henry Okoye.

Okoye said the security operatives drove the criminals away from their camp in the Ubah Ages/Izombo tropical forest in the Oguta Local Government Area of the state in their last operation.

“We acted on carefully gathered actionable intelligence that members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its militia affiliate (ESN), whose modus operandi is guerilla-like operation, that is, they unleash surprise terror attacks and go into hiding in their criminal hideout, have once again reassembled and formed a camp in Ubah Agwa/Izombe tropical rain forest in Oguta LGA of Imo State.

“The hoodlums opened fire when they saw police operatives but were driven back by the operatives’ superior firepower and skilful use of positional shooting that forced them to run with varying degrees of bullet wounds,” Okoye noted in the statement.

He assured that a concerted operation is in high gear to catch the fleeing suspects.

Giving further details about the operation, Okoye said the command’s men also recovered “IPOB/ESN insignia, blue and black police uniforms, police caps, police belt, military camouflage uniforms, black Tiger 150 motorcycle, red Daylong motorcycle, black KYMCO motorcycle, silver Honda Lady’s motorcycle and black travel bag were discovered in the dislodged terrorist camp and shrine.”

He, however, admitted that the operation was carried out with the help of men of the Nigerian Army.

The police command commended soldiers that took part in the operation for their bravery. Okoye said the State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ahmed Barde, has directed operatives of the Imo State Police Command to raid criminal hideouts and seize illegal weaponry continuously.

He expressed gratitude to Imo citizens for their steadfast support and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to eradicating crime and criminality in the state.

“Well-meaning citizens of the state are urged to be cautious of the people who live in their communities and to report any person spotted with or treating bullet wounds to the local police station or by calling the command’s emergency numbers, 0803773600 or 08098880197,” the statement added.