The Nigeria Army says its troops have dislodged criminal hideouts and arrested three suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Anambra and Imo states.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu and made available to newsmen in Owerri on Thursday.
Nwachukwu said that the troops dislodged the suspected criminals during an operation at Azia, Orsumoghu, Lilu Forest, Mbosi and Uli in Orsu and Ihiala Local Government Areas of Anambra and Imo respectively.
He said that during the clearance operations, the troops uncovered decomposing remains of kidnapped and murdered victims dumped in a deep well by members of the irredentist groups.
“While conducting the operations, the unrelenting troops encountered and cleared four ambush sites along roads in Orsumoghu – Mbosi – Ihiala – Uli, dislodging the irredentists from their criminal havens.
“The gallant troops neutralized one of the criminals, arrested three suspects, and recovered one Pump Action Shotgun, two live Cartridges, two mobile phones, one black coloured Toyota Hilux vehicle, and a polythene bag containing substances suspected to be Cannabis,” he said.
He added that troops, in a related development, burst an IPOB/ESN syndicate that disrupted the just concluded Local Government Council elections at some polling stations in Nkanu West LGA of Enugu State.
“During the intelligence-driven operation carried out around Centenary Estate, Obeagu Uno, troops uncovered seven AK 47 rifles, two Pump Action rifles, 10 rifle Magazines, eight live cartridges, and 74 live rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.
“Other recovered items were a one-hand grenade and a tipper truck containing three corpses among other items,” he said.
He, however, said that the items had been handed over to the Enugu State Police Command for further action and reassured Nigerians living in the South-East geo-political zone of the Army’s commitment to the restoration of lasting peace in the area.