In Imo State, the Nigerian Army has murdered a suspected member of the Eastern Security Network and Indigenous People of Biafra, both of which are illegal organizations.
The army also claimed to have apprehended Chimezie Chukwu, commonly known as Bigi, a suspected escapee from the Jos jailbreak, during several operations in the nation’s South East.
The Joint Task Force Operation UDO KA II’s spokesperson, Jonah Unuakhalu, revealed this on Sunday in a statement that was posted on the force’s X (formerly Twitter) website.
According to Unuakhalu, the accused IPOB/ESN member evaded arrest attempts by Sector 4 soldiers who were on checkpoint duty in the state’s Okigwe Local Government Area, forcing the soldiers to open fire on him and killing him.
According to him, while performing checkpoint duties, troops from Sector 4 stationed at the Forward Operational Base in Okigwe, Imo State, observed a recognized IPOB/ESN member riding a motorcycle. He turned around to flee capture after the soldiers told him to stop the motorcycle and get off.
All attempts to halt him were unsuccessful, which forced the soldiers to fire, neutralizing the suspect. Two live 7.62mm Special bullets, an ITEL mobile phone, a little bag of charms, the equivalent of $2,300 alone, and a Qlink motorcycle are among the items that were found from him.
He added that during a joint operation with the Department of State Security, members of Sector 1 of the Joint Task Force in the South East raided a location believed to be an IPOB/ESN hideout in Ugbakwa Village in the Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, which resulted in the arrest of Bigi, a suspected drug dealer who escaped from a Jos jail during a jailbreak.
On Friday, October 20, 2023, in cooperation with the Department of State Security Enugu State Command, “Troops of Sector 1 of the Joint Task Force South East Operation UDO KA II conducted a raid operation to suspected Indigenous People of Biafra and its armed affiliates at the Eastern Security Network hideout in Ugbakwa Village in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.”The Jos Prison Break escapee, Mr. Chimezie Chukwu, popularly known as Biggi, was captured during the raid operations. He was a notorious drug dealer, gunrunner, and expert in armed robbery.
Six mobile phones, three mobile phone batteries, a Moniepoint POS and ATM card, two packs of what are believed to be cannabis-infused substances, and the sum of one hundred and seven thousand, two hundred and eighty naira alone were found on him. The DSS is in charge of the suspect and the recovered goods for further investigation.
In addition, Unuakhalu claimed that three automobiles were found during a raid by another division of the army on what was believed to be an IPOB/ESN hideout in Ogbunka, Orumba South Local Government Area, Anambra State. The inquiry to identify the owners of the vehicles is still underway.
Additionally, on the basis of reliable intelligence, troops from Sector 5 of Operation UDO KA II carried out raid operations against alleged IPOB/ESN camps at Ogbunka in the Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
“The terrorist gang had already left the camp when we arrived. However, three abandoned sport utility vehicles—two Toyota Highlanders and one Mercedes ML 350—were found by the forces; efforts are still being made to track down their owners, according to the statement.