Police burst biggest IPOB/ESN bomb factory in Southeast, Nigeria
The Ebonyi State Police Command have uncovered the biggest bomb factory in the southeast operated by the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) and its militia arm, Eastern Security Network(ESN).
Ebonyi Police spokesperson, Chris Anyanwu, revealed this in a statement on Thursday in Abakaliki, the state capital.
He said the discovery followed an operation by the police during which its operatives engaged in a gun battle with the IPOB/ESN members leading to the death of two of the separatist group members and the arrest of one of the state commanders.
READ ALSO: Suspected IPOB members abduct 4 newborn babies in Anambra
According to him, the police 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 Local Government Areas (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 mode of operation 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”.
Anyanwu said the gun duel ensued when the hoodlums were tracked down and pursued along Agba-Isu road on Wednesday, December 14.
He noted that a couple of police operatives sustained minor bullet injuries while two of the hoodlums were neutralised, one (the Commander) apprehended while others escaped with various degrees of bullet injuries.
He said that following the gun duel, 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.
Anyanwu said search warrants were executed which led to the recovery of massive incriminating exhibits.
According to him, among the discoveries were Improvised Explosive Devices and parts used in making 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,” Anyanwau said.
Items recovered include “30 pieces of IEDs using safety fuses primed in non-electric initiator/detonator, 63 wraps of Superpower 90mm gelatin, two (2) Solar prime 90mm gelatin, 16 Danger 90 gelatin, 20 Ideal power 90 gelatin 50mm, 239 pieces of plain Non-electric detonators, 14 pieces of primed nonels, 99 pieces of one-inch safety fuses, and one complete roll of Safety fuse.”
Follow the Neptune Prime channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va74ZvU2v1IqKByXoX3d
Do you have breaking news, interview request, opinion, suggestion, or want your event covered? Email us at neptuneprime2233@gmail.com
