- By Halimah Olamide
Troops of the Joint Task Force Operation ‘UDO KA’, have neutralised four members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), including a commander of the group’s armed Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Imo.
Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, Spokesman for Task Force, said in a statement on Tuesday in Enugu that the troops, based on reliable intelligence, conducted special clearance operation on Monday in Udda, Ihittukwa and Orsumoghu communities in Orsu Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, the troops dominated and captured the notorious stronghold of the IPOB/ESN at Mother Valley in spite of attempt by the criminal elements to detonate Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to stop the advancing troops.
“The gallant joint troops with superior fire power forced the criminals to withdraw in disarray, in the encounter, four of the irredentists were neutralised and others escaped with gunshots wounds.
“One of the IPOB/ESN commander, Tochukwu, Aka Ojoto, in-charge of Ihietukwa Command, despite many charms on his body, was neutralized,” he said.
The spokesman listed items recovered from the hideouts to include an AK 47 Rifle with two magazines, two automatic pump action guns, three handheld Baofeng radios, one laptop, and a Techno phone.
Others are car keys, quantity of substance suspected to be marijuana, Baifran currencies, five IEDs and the device making materials, as well as batteries for detonation of the IEDs, and assorted charms.
He said that the Force Commander, Maj.-Gen. Hassan Dada, assured all citizens that the Joint Task Force was committed to ensuring peace and stability in the South-East, and called for timely, reliable and credible information through Toll Free line 193 – Option 2