Police operatives in Imo State on Thursday arrested six suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) working for the Eastern Security Network (ESN), a fighting arm of the separatist group, in Ubah Agwa, Oguta Council Area.
In a statement by the spokesman of the Imo State Police Command, Micheal Abattam, a 72-year old native doctor, Nnadike Clifford, working for the suspects was also arrested with them.
The statement revealed that the suspects were picked from their hideout inside a shrine, where they keep many charms, including a live python, as protection.
The statement read: “The Command’s Tactical Teams, on 18/5/2022 at about 0600 hours hastily mobilized when it received credible information that the native doctor, who prepares charms for fortifications against bullets and knives for group has returned after fleeing the community.
“Information from the suspects earlier arrested in connection with the killing, the team was able to locate the criminal hideout in Ubah Agwa, Oguta LGA of Imo State and immediately cordoned-off the area and tactically went into the den.
“The hoodlums on sighting the police operatives, attempted to escape only to discover that the whole escape routes had been surrounded with police operatives hence, they were arrested.
“The names of the arrested suspects are: Casmire Mgbugha ‘m’ aged 53 years, Hycent Chimezie ‘m’ aged 30 years, Hycent Azunna ‘m’ aged 28 years, Hycent Ifesinachi ‘m’ aged 26 years, Hycent Chimobi ‘m’ aged 23 years, Chukwuemeka Wisdom ‘m’ aged 22 years and Nnadike Clifford ‘m’ aged 72 years.
“On searching the terror camp, the following items were recovered: one Toyota Camry car with registration number AKD 73 BF LAGOS, one live Python, eight locally made Pistols, eighteen rounds of live cartridges, one Biafra flag, a pair of Police Carmouflage Uniform belonging to late Inspector Felicia Nwagbara ‘f’, who has been declared missing since 2017 by the police authorities.
“As they were being led out of the terror camp, one of the suspects, Hycent Chimezie, for the second time attempted to escape and was shot on the leg.
“Meanwhile, the suspects have confessed to killing the late Inspector Felicia Nwagbara who was the second wife of one of the suspects, Casmire Mgbugba.
“Also, the suspects further stated that they are the manufacturers of the locally made guns recovered from them and they said they sell guns to robbers and kidnappers.”
