Security forces arrest 25 suspected IPOB/ESN members in Enugu, recover firearms
By: Zagazola Makama
The Enugu State Police Command has arrested 25 suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, Eastern Security Network (ESN), during a raid on their hideout in Enugu East Local Government Area.
Zagazola Makama reports that the arrest was made following a swift operation carried out on Friday by operatives of the Police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit, led by the Officer-in-Charge (OC), in collaboration with the tactical team codenamed “Octopus.”
According to police sources, credible intelligence had revealed that the suspects were camped in the Obinagu Amangwu bush and had launched an attack on members of the Ogbeke Nike Neighbourhood Watch.
Upon arrival at the scene at about 1:05 p.m., the security operatives apprehended the suspects and recovered four pump-action guns, three live cartridges, and sixteen expended cartridges from the camp.
A senior police source confirmed that the suspects are currently in custody and are undergoing intensive interrogation.
“The arrest is part of the ongoing effort to rid the state of criminal elements posing as agitators and to restore peace and order across Enugu and its environs,” the source said.
The Commissioner of Police, Zone 13 Headquarters, Awka, has ordered a discreet investigation into the matter, with a view to identifying and apprehending fleeing members of the syndicate and uncovering any wider network of collaborators.
