Troops of the 34 Artillery Brigade, Nigerian Army have killed two gunmen and arrested four others suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network (IPOB/ESN) in a fierce gun battle on Orlu-Orsu Road, Imo State, Southeast Nigeria.
Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, said in a statement in Owerri on Tuesday that the troops also recovered weapons belonging to the gunmen.
He listed weapons recovered from the gunmen to include one AK 47 rifle, two magazines, one Police grenade launcher, two Baofeng communication radios and five mobile phones.
Nwachukwu said the troops, while on routine patrol, made contact with suspected elements of the IPOB around the general area of Aluminium Company and All Saints Church, along the Orlu-Orsu road.
He said that on sighting the patrol team, the criminal elements opened fire and launched grenade attack on the troops.
The full statement reads: “Troops of 34 Artillery Brigade, Nigerian Army(NA) have neutralized two gun men and arrested four other members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) and its armed affiliate, Eastern Security Network (ESN) in a fierce gun battle along Orlu – Orsu Road on 25 April 2022.
“The troops, while on routine patrol made contact with elements of IPOB/ESN around the general area of Aluminium Company and All Saints Church. On sighting the patrol team, the criminal elements opened fire and launched grenade attack on the troops. The vigilant troops responded with superior firepower neutralizing two of the criminal elements, compelling others to flee in disarray.
“In a hot pursuit that followed the encounter, troops arrested four of the fleeing gunmen and recovered one AK 47 rifle, two magazines, one Police grenade launcher, two Baofeng communication radios, five mobile phones, one IPOB Beret, two Motorcycles, four SIM cards, five wallets containing different ID cards, afrodisiac, charms and the sum of Sixteen Thousand Four Hundred and Sixty Naira only.
“Preliminary investigation on the suspects’ mobile phones reveals gory pictures and videos depicting scenes of cold blooded murders, corpses displayed in shrines and other heinous atrocities committed by the criminals.”