Police dislodge suspected ESN camp in Enugu community 

In accordance with the crime fighting strategies devised by the Commissioner of Police, Enugu state command, CP Abubakar Lawal, to rid the state of criminals and their activities, Police operatives of the command drawn from Tactical Squads and Operation Restore Peace, between 11th and 12th August, 2022, carried out a tactical and intelligence-driven dusk- to- dawn raid of IPOB/ESN camp in a forest at Agu-Ibeje in Enugu-Ezike community of Igbo-Eze North local government area. 

The police spokesman, DSP, Daniel Ndukwe, said the hoodlums, on sighting the operatives, engaged them in a gun duel, which led to the neutralisation of one of them while several others escaped with varying degrees of fatal gunshot wounds, due to the superior firepower of the operatives.

Ndukwe stated that the operation led to the discovery and exhuming from a shallow grave in the camp, the corpse of their male victim identified as Okpanachi Johnson, a Police officer serving in Igbo-Eze North Police Division of the command, who had gone missing, with all efforts made to trace his whereabouts proving abortive. 

He also stated that police recovered at the camp  the following exhibits: 12 firearms, including one AR-K2 Assault, six pump action guns, one locally-made Berretta-like pistol and five locally-fabricated double-barreled guns; 98 live cartridges; two machetes, one digger, one battle axe and one hacksaw; five motor vehicles, including  three Toyota Sienna minivans, one Honda Pilot Jeep and one Hiace (Hummer) bus loaded with assorted Ankara fabrics, all reported to have been snatched from their owners at different times within the area by the hoodlums; 20 different brands of motorcycles with their plate numbers removed; one Police bullet-proof vest; one pair of Police Camouflage uniform; one  pair of military camouflage uniform with a cap and military singlet.

“Others include: one piece of red-black-green colour clothing identified as Biafra flag and another five pieces of masquerade-like attires of the said flag colours; one HP laptop with its bag; 22 different brands of mobile phones; six different brands of Mp3 players; one Canon camera, six torch lights, three rolls of cello-tapes; one air pumping machine; one small yellow-colour generating set; 15 fabric armless and five plastic chairs; a set of musical equipment, including band set, piano, guiter and speakers, the hoodlums are alleged to have stolen after invading a church in the area; seven school bags; one camp bed and 21 pieces of table spoons,” Ndukwe disclosed.