Police Neutralize Two IPOB/ESN Sub-Commanders in Imo Forest Raid
Two sub-commanders of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), have been killed during a coordinated forest clearance operation in Imo State.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the operation was executed late on February 24 by tactical teams of the Imo State Police Command, acting on credible intelligence about militant hideouts in Amaocha Afara, Umunoha and Ifakala communities across Mbaitoli and Njaba Local Government Areas.
Security sources said the operatives encountered armed resistance upon advancing on the camps, leading to a gun battle. Two senior figures in the group, identified by their aliases “Minute,” reportedly from Ebonyi State, and “Nwaotu,” said to be from Mkpoku in Mbaitoli LGA, were killed in the exchange.
Police recovered two automatic pump-action guns, nine live cartridges, six spent cartridges and a walkie-talkie from the scene. Other members of the group are believed to have fled with gunshot wounds.
Authorities confirmed that no police personnel were injured during the operation and said efforts are ongoing to track down and apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The clearance exercise forms part of a sustained campaign by the Imo State Police Command to dismantle IPOB/ESN networks operating in the state.
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