Imo: Police foil attack, kill criminals kingpin, arrest two suspects

The Imo State Police Command has foiled an attack and neutralised a criminal kingpin during a raid on an IPOB/ESN camp at Ubah Agwa in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State.

The breakthrough followed investigations into the foiled attack on Agwa Police Division on August 21, 2026, and other violent crimes in Oguta Local Government Area.

In a statement issued in Owerri on Thursday, the Imo State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Okoye Henry, said that during the foiled attack, a notorious criminal kingpin, Chiemela, aka “Disaster,” was neutralised.

He said subsequent investigations led to the arrest of suspected accomplices and the dislodgement of an IPOB/ESN camp in the local government area.

According to him, on September 15, 2026, operatives arrested Jones Okechukwu Anyim, 29, of Umuokijo Mgbala Agwa, Oguta LGA, Imo State, in connection with the crimes.

Okoye said the arrest followed information and confessions obtained from Happiness Uche, 32, of Ubah Agwa, Oguta LGA.

He said following the arrest, police operatives, in collaboration with the DPO of Agwa Police Division and his team, proceeded to the suspected criminal hideout at Ubah Agwa, Oguta LGA.

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According to him, on sighting the police operatives, the hoodlums opened fire but were swiftly overpowered by the superior firepower of the police, forcing them to flee.

The police spokesperson said some of the fleeing suspects were believed to have sustained gunshot injuries.

He said that during a search of an abandoned, uncompleted bungalow at the location, police recovered one AK-47 rifle without a visible identification number and two AK-47 magazines loaded with 52 rounds of live ammunition.

Also recovered were four military uniforms, five police uniforms bearing name tags, three Biafra flags, six Biafra regalia uniforms, three ESN-marked uniforms and four ESN-marked berets.

Other exhibits recovered included one hand grenade, various ATM cards believed to belong to different victims, various denominations of currency bearing Biafran inscriptions, foreign currencies, enlarged photographs of an unidentified person and various objects suspected to be ritual materials.

He said the suspected hideout had been dislodged and secured, while efforts were ongoing to track and apprehend the fleeing suspects.

He assured that the arrested suspect would be charged to court upon the completion of a thorough investigation.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Audu Garba Bosso, commended the operatives for their courage and professionalism and urged members of the public to remain vigilant and provide credible information to the police.

He said further developments would be communicated as the investigation progresses.