Police arrest IPOB/ESN commander in Ebonyi

Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested the State Commander of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB/ESN) Sunday Ubah a.k.a Bongo.

Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chris Anyanwu, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Abakaliki.

According to Anyanwu, the hoodlums were tracked down and pursued along Agba-Isu road on Wednesday, December 14, 2022.

He further disclosed that a couple of police operatives sustained minor bullet injuries while two of the hoodlums were neutralized while others escaped with various degrees of bullet injuries.

The statement read in parts: “Ebonyi State Police Command has again swooped on one of the biggest and most notorious camps of the IPOB/ESN located at Obegu, a boundary area between Onicha-Isu and Ishielu LGAs of Ebonyi State.

“The invasion of the criminals’ den was necessitated by an earlier encounter between operatives of the Command’s Tactical Teams, sequel to credible information gathered that the hoodlums were operating/wreaking havoc in the state with a Toyota Sienna space bus which they robbed at gunpoint from the owner within Ishielu axis.

“A quick trail and joint effort with a team of detectives attached to Ohaukwu Division led to the arrest of Sunday Ubah a.k.a Bongo, the State Commander of the IPOB/ESN in Ebonyi State. The miscreant who gave revealing pieces of information about the activities and modus operandi of the criminals, initially claimed that he is their PRO and native of Umunnochi in Isuikwuato LGA, Abia State. However, a scrupulous investigation aided by his antecedents/profile with the Police Command proved that he is a native of Obegu, Onicha LGA of Ebonyi State and indeed the factional commander of the outfit in Obegu.

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“During the gun duel that ensued while the hoodlums were tracked down and pursued along Agba-Isu road on Wednesday 14/12/2022, a couple of Police operatives sustained minor bullet injuries while two of the hoodlums were neutralized, one (the commander) apprehended while others escaped with various degrees of bullet injuries.

“As a follow-up, a joint team of the Command’s Tactical Teams, the Military and DSS, armed with credible information courtesy of the suspect, swooped on the houses/residences of the Commander and others.

“Search warrants executed and the following massive incriminating exhibits recovered: IMPROVISE EXPLOSIVE DEVICES (IEDs): The Police Bomb Expert in the Command described it as a complete Bomb Factory – the biggest in the South-East and that each of the hand grenades (first of its kind) is capable of causing colossal damage to buildings and mass killing of humans. Thirty (30) pieces of IEDs using safety fuses primed in non-electric initiator/detonator, Sixty-three (63) wraps of Superpower 90mm gelatin, Two (02) Solar prime 90mm gelatin, Sixteen (16) Danger 90 gelatin, Twenty (20) Ideal power 90 gelatin 50mm, Two hundred and thirty-nine (239) pieces of plain Non-electric detonators, Fourteen (14) pieces of primed nonels, Ninety-nine (99) pieces of one-inch safety fuses, One complete roll of Safety fuse. INSIGNIA OF BIAFRA AGITATION: Two proscribed Biafran flags, silver-coated daggers, assorted fetish substances, charms, manual welding/fabricating cylinder, etc.

He further added that “four long-range riot guns, 124 smoke cartridges, four police uniforms belonging to slain Policemen, assorted military/police boots, Military camouflage uniforms, etc.

“A defaced/hand-painted Toyota Sienna space bus, first-aid box, bag containing foodstuff, improvise solar panels, CCTV gadgets, etc.”

The PPRO however noted that the arrested suspect is helping the detectives of the command in further investigation.

Meanwhile, Anyanwu has reassured the citizens of their resolve to stem the tide of insecurity posed by the criminal elements, especially during the Christmas/New Year celebrations.