Two suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have been killed in a gun duel with security operatives in Enugu State.
Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, said the suspects were killed on November 18 at the Inyi community, Oji-River Local Government Area of the state.
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The IPOB members were said to have been linked to the murder of one Gabriel Onuzulike identified as former Chairman of Oji-River LGA and Commissioner in the Enugu State Government, and his brother.
Police spokesman said the neutralisation of the suspects followed a visit by the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Ammani to Nkpokolo-Achi in Oji-River LGA, where “a suspected network of the same subversive criminal elements, said to have infiltrated into the area from neighbouring Anambra State community.”
“They were, however, pursued, intercepted and engaged in a fierce gunfight at Inyi community of the same LGA, by a Joint Police/Army Team, as they were escaping back to Anambra State,” the statement read.
“In the ensuing gun duel, the resilient and superior firepower of the joint operatives led to the neutralization of two (2) of the hoodlums, forcing the others to escape into the nearby forest with severe degrees of gunshot wounds.”
Items recovered from the suspects included one AK-47 rifle and one pistol with several live ammunition.
Similarly, a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Jeep belonging to the deceased victims, a Toyota Camry car the assailants attempted to snatch from another victim and a RAV4 Jeep they used for the heinous criminal operation, two mobile phones, amongst other incriminating items, were also retrieved by the police.
On his part, the police commissioner warned that the Command will never be deterred in its quest to rid Enugu of criminals.
In doing so, he has ordered the maximum deployment of all the operational and intelligence resources of the Command to ensure that the renegades and other criminal elements operating in the state are hunted down.
According to him, the Enugu State Police Command will stop at nothing in fishing out and putting to an end the heinous and violent crime of the unrepentant criminals.
The CP also asked Enugu residents to remain law-abiding, assist the vigilante and security operatives with credible information to fish out the criminal elements and contain general acts of crime and criminality in the state.
He equally urged the public to contact the Command’s emergency hotlines on 08098880172, 08032003702, 08075390883 or 08086671202; or alternatively send emails to [email protected].
