The Imo police command has babbled how it uncovered a deadly shrine and arrested seven suspected members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the militant wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The command which gave the account, on Thursday, while parading the arrested suspects, said it also recovered a live python the suspects used to fortify themselves before attacks were carried out. Narrating the incident to journalists, the command’s spokesman, Micheal Abattam, said, “The Command’s Tactical Teams, on 18/5/2022 at about 0600 hours hastily mobilized when it received credible information that the native doctor who prepares charms for fortifications against bullets and knives for the group has returned after fleeing the community.” He added, “With the positive revelations made in the course of interrogating the suspects earlier arrested in connection with the killing, the team was able to locate the criminal hideout in Ubah Agwa in Oguta LGA of Imo State and immediately cordoned off the area and tactically went into the den.
“The hoodlums on sighting the police operatives, attempted to escape, only to discover that the whole escape routes had been saturated with police operatives hence, they were arrested.”
He gave the names of the arrested suspects as “Casmire Mgbugha ‘m’ aged 53, Hycent Chimezie ‘m’ aged 30, Hycent Azunna ‘m’ aged 28, Hycent Ifesinachi ‘m’ aged 26, Hycent Chimobi ‘m’ aged 23, Chukwuemeka Wisdom ‘m’ aged 22 and Nnadike Clifford ‘m’ aged 72.”
Abattam noted that upon searching the terror camp, a number of items were recovered.
“The items are one Toyota Camry car with registration number AKD 73 BF LAGOS, one live Python, eight locally made pistols, eighteen rounds of live cartridges, one Biafran flag, a pair of police camouflage uniforms belonging to the late Inspector Felicia Nwagbara ‘f’, who has been declared missing since 2017 by police authorities.
“While coming out of the terror camp, one of the suspects, Hycent Chimezie for the second time, attempted escaping and was maimed on the leg,” the police spokesman said. The command’s spokesman further said the suspects had confessed to having murdered the late Inspector Felicia Nwagbara, who was the second wife of one of the suspects, Casmire Mgbugba.
“The suspected hoodlums further stated that they were the manufacturers of the locally made guns recovered from them, which they also sell to robbers and kidnappers.
“The command wishes to use this medium to appreciate the good people of Imo State for their undaunting support and assures them of the command’s commitments in sustaining the already improved security architecture in the state,” he added.
