By CHARLES IWUOHA

Ebonyi State Police Command has announced the arrest of the State Commander of the Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network (IPOB/ESN), Sunday Ubah, and the killing of two others during a gun battle.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Chris Anyanwu, made the announcement in a statement made available to newsmen in Abakaliki on Thursday.

According to Anyanwu, the hoodlums were tracked down and pursued along Agba-Isu road yesterday, Wednesday, December 14.

The statement reads In part: “Ebonyi State Police Command has again swooped on one of the biggest and most notorious camps of the IPOB/ESN located at Obegu, a boundary area between Onicha-Isu and Ishielu LGAs of Ebonyi State.

“The invasion of the criminals’ den was necessitated by an earlier encounter between operatives of the Command’s Tactical Teams, sequel to credible information gathered that the hoodlums were operating/wreaking havoc in the state with a Toyota Sienna space bus which they robbed at gunpoint from the owner within Ishielu axis.

“A quick trail and joint effort with a team of detectives attached to Ohaukwu Division led to the arrest of Sunday Ubah a.k.a Bongo, the State Commander of the IPOB/ESN in Ebonyi State. The miscreant who gave revealing pieces of information about the activities and modus operandi of the criminals, initially claimed that he is their PRO and native of Umunnochi in Isuikwuato LGA, Abia State.

“However, a scrupulous investigation aided by his antecedents/profile with the Police Command proved that he is a native of Obegu, Onicha LGA of Ebonyi State and indeed the factional commander of the outfit in Obegu.

“During the gun duel that ensued while the hoodlums were tracked down and pursued along Agba-Isu road on Wednesday 14/12/2022, a couple of Police operatives sustained minor bullet injuries while two of the hoodlums were neutralized, one (the commander) apprehended while others escaped with various degrees of bullet injuries.

“As a follow-up, a joint team of the Command’s Tactical Teams, the Military and DSS, armed with credible information courtesy of the suspect, swooped on the houses/residences of the Commander and others.

“Search warrants executed and the following massive incriminating exhibits recovered.”