By John Obi
Police in Enugu State have raided an Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its Eastern Security Network (ESN) criminal hideouts in the Akwuike area of the state capital.
Spokesman of the State Police Command, DSP Daniel Ndukwe who made this known to journalists in a statement on Sunday said that the raid was carried out on Saturday morning at about 2.am.
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According to him, operatives of the command met with resistance from the renegades, who opened fire upon sighting them, but they were overpowered by the superior firepower of the police, leading to the killing of two members of the outlawed groups while other members escaped with gunshot wounds.
Ndukwe said that one AK-47 rifle, one Sub-Machine Gun (SMG), one stainless Pump-Action Gun (PAG), 27 live and 23 expended rounds of 7.62 mm calibre ammunition were recovered after the raid
He said that the police also recovered five live cartridges and a small blue-coloured Gideon New Testament Bible probably used to conceal objects suspected to be charms adding that the criminals were responsible for several attacks on the police and carting away their rifles.
“In pursuance of the proactive/crime prevention strategies devised by the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Kanayo Uzuegbu, police operatives of Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad carried out an intelligence-guided raid of a suspected IPOB/ESN hideout in Akwuke community in Enugu metropolis.
“A preliminary investigation reveals that the breech number of the recovered AK-47 was wiped off.
“The criminal elements are responsible for several attacks and carting away of police officers rifles, as the rifle’s magazine bore the Nigeria Police Force colour. Further discreet investigations are ongoing,”
