Enugu state police in southeastern Nigeria said they killed three suspected members of the Outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Imufu, a community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of the State.
Police spokesman in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, in a statement on Thursday, said the suspects were behind the killing of two members of the Neighborhood Watch Group on August 21 in Umuagama, Enugu-Ezike, another community in the council area.
Ndukwe, deputy superintendent of police, said the gunmen were killed on Thursday morning when a team of police officers serving the council area raided a camp belonging to the IPOB and its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network.
The police spokesman said that upon arrival at the camp, the suspects engaged police officers in a shootout.
“However, three of the thugs were neutralized in the ensuing firefight, while many others escaped with various degrees of serious gunshot wounds,” he said.
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Ndukwe said the preliminary investigation further revealed that the gunmen had made several attempts to enforce the illegal sit-at-home order in some parts of the council area.
The illegal order is usually enforced by a faction of the IPOB, believed to be led by a Finland-based pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa.
Four pump-action pistols, a locally made revolver, a pistol, six live cartridges, military camouflage uniforms, IPOB insignia cloth and items suspected of being amulets were among the items recovered by the gunmen, according to the police. police.
The police commissioner in Enugu state, Ahmed Ammani, has reaffirmed the police’s unwavering commitment to ridding the state of unrepentant criminals, Mr. Ndukwe said.
Mr. Ammani praised the officers for successfully executing the operation and called on them and others to remain steadfast, resilient and keep up the pace of the fight against crime in the state.
The police commissioner called on residents of the state, particularly the owners of medical facilities in the council area, to support the police by immediately reporting people they see with gunshot wounds to be taken immediate measures.
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