Police Operatives from the Enugu State Police Command on Wednesday raided the camp of the proscribed Indigenous People Of f Biafra in Igbo-Etiti local government area, killing two fighters of the group during the operation.
The raid which was conducted in collaboration with the Neighborhood Watch Group, following intelligence reports, led to a gun battle, forcing the criminal elements to abandon their post with gunshot wounds.
Police recovered two lifeless bodies, an AK-47 rifle, a Beretta pistol, ammunition, and other items.
According to a statement by the spokesman of the command in Enugu, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, preliminary investigations suggest the group is responsible for heinous crimes in Nsukka, including the recent murder of security operatives.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kanayo Uzuegbu, commended the team and urged medical outfits and the public to report individuals with gunshot wounds to the police.
“The police are intensifying efforts to identify and hunt down criminal elements in the area.
“However, the police operatives returned fire at a superior level, forcing the criminals to escape with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.
“Thereafter, two of the fleeing suspects’ lifeless bodies were discovered and recovered in the forest.“Police also recovered one AK-47 rifle, four magazines loaded with a total of 75 live 7.62 mm calibre ammunition and one Beretta pistol loaded with eight live 0.9 mm calibre ammunition.
“Further recovered were: one KC Sanya and Honda Today, lady’s motorcycles, one GTB ATM card, a cash sum of N2,600 and several raw food items. The manhunt for others on the run is ongoing,” he said.
The spokesman said that the commissioner called on owners of medical outfits and the public to quickly report individuals sighted with gunshot wounds to the police.
“The commissioner further directs Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and Heads of Tactical Squads to remain steadfast and ensure that they further identify hideouts and hunt down die-hard criminal elements in their respective operational jurisdictions,” he said.
