Safety businesses kill many suspected IPOB members, destroy group’s ‘supreme headquarters’ – Official

Mixed safety businesses have killed “many” suspected members of the Indigenous Folks of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed militant wing, Japanese Safety Community (ESN), throughout communities in Nigeria’s South-east, an official has stated.

The Drive Commander, Joint Process Drive South-east Operation Udo Ka, Hassan Taiwo-Dada, disclosed this on Friday throughout a press briefing at Eke-Ututu group in Orsu Native Authorities Space of Imo State, South-east Nigeria.

A textual content of the press briefing was additionally revealed on the official Fb web page of the Nigerian Military on Friday.

How they have been killed

Mr Taiwo-Dada, a major-general, stated the IPOB members have been killed throughout a sequence of operations in some suspected IPOB hideouts from 11 February to 7 March.

He stated the operations have been performed by the Joint Process Drive of Operation Udoka, comprising personnel of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Drive and the Nigeria Police Drive.

The military chief, who can also be the Basic Officer Commanding 82 Division of the Nigerian military, stated personnel of the State Safety Service and Nigerian Safety and Civil Defence Corps additionally took half within the operations.

Mr Taiwo-Dada stated the suspected IPOB/ESN hideouts which have been destroyed by the joint process drive are in Orsu, Eke-Ututu, and Ihiteukwa, Ihittenansa – all communities in Orsu Native Authorities Space of the state.

He stated, inside the similar interval, among the hideouts have been additionally destroyed by the joint process drive in Orsumoghu and Lilu – all communities in Ihiala Native Authorities Space of Anambra, one other state within the South-east.

Ihiala and Lilu, although in Anambra State, share boundaries with communities in Orsu Native Authorities Space of Imo State.

After they have been killed

Mr Taiwo-Dada stated, in one of many operations on 7 March, the joint process drive destroyed some IPOB hideouts allegedly utilized by the separatists as their “supreme headquarters”.

“Through the raid operations, the gallant troops encountered, detonated and recovered many command improvised explosive units and numerous varieties of obstacles which have been cleared by the decided troops.

“The troops additionally got here involved with the terrorists however have been subdued with superior fireplace energy with many neutralised whereas others with various levels of gunshot wounds fled into the bush,” he stated, urging residents of the states to report any unusual face of their communities to the duty drive.

He stated the “supreme headquarters,” which served because the IPOB members’ final stronghold, was positioned in a valley.

Mr Taiwo-Dada stated the valley spanned the Orsu and Ihiala native authorities areas of the south-eastern states and is about 5,000 ft beneath sea degree.

The military chief added that the “nicely hid and forested location afforded” the IPOB members “good cowl from air surveillance” and likewise served as their “command and management centre and navy council headquarters.”

“The joint troops additionally destroyed about 50 tents within the valley housing the supreme headquarters, IPOB/ESN command and management heart, together with their hideout and residence, workplaces, their logistics base, temples and shrines used for occult practices amongst many different gadgets,” he acknowledged.

A number of arms and ammunition have been among the many gadgets recovered through the operations, in response to the military.

Others have been laptops, a number of cell phones, Baofeng radios, batteries, one inverter, a SIM card registration machine, 4 PoS machines, trumpets, Biafra flags and uniforms in addition to an undisclosed variety of automobiles suspected to have been stolen.

READ ALSO: Nigerian troops uncover burnt corpses of police operatives in IPOB camp – Official

Mr Taiwo-Dada appreciated the cooperation of all the safety businesses within the success achieved to this point and urged leaders of the communities, who fled through the operations of their locations, to return to their ancestral houses.

The military chief requested the group leaders to emplace efforts to make sure that all of the criminals who have been chased out from the communities aren’t allowed to return.

He assured that the joint process drive will proceed to offer safety in all of the communities and other people of South-east to help the safety businesses with “well timed and actionable data” to assist the battle towards terrorism and different felony actions within the area.

IPOB, a gaggle searching for to carve out a sovereign state of Biafra from South-east and a few elements of neighbouring states, has been linked to among the lethal assaults within the two areas.

However the separatist group has repeatedly denied any involvement within the assaults.

The Nigerian military and different safety businesses have been finishing up operations towards the separatist group.

Each personnel of the Nigerian military and members of the separatist group have been killed in among the operations.