The Ebonyi State Police Command has disclosed that it uncovered the biggest bomb factory in the South-East operated by the Indigenous People of Biafra and its militia arm, Eastern Security Network.
The command said its operatives uncovered the factory after a tip-off on the activities of the miscreants in Obegu, a boundary area between Onicha-Isu and Ishielu Local Government Areas of Ebonyi State.
The command’s spokesperson, Chris Anyanwu, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
During the operation, Anyanwu revealed that the IPOB/ESN members engaged the police officers in a gun battle leading to the death of two of the separatist group members and the arrest of one of their commanders.
“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”.
The police spokesperson said some officers sustained minor bullet injuries that after the encounter, police operatives swooped on the houses and residences of the group’s commander and others.
He said massive incriminating exhibits were found during the search of houses and residences of the group’s commanders.
According to him, among the discoveries were Improvised Explosive Devices and parts used in making IEDs
“The Police bomb expert in the Command described it as a complete Bomb Factory – the biggest in the South-East and that each of the hand grenades (first of its kind) is capable of causing colossal damage to buildings and mass killing of humans,” Anyanwau said
“Items recovered include 30 pieces of IEDs using safety fuses primed in non-electric initiator/detonator, Sixty-three (63) wraps of Superpower 90mm gelatin, two (02) Solar prime 90mm gelatin, sixteen (16) Danger 90 gelatin, twenty (20) Ideal power 90 gelatin 50mm, two hundred and thirty-nine (239) pieces of plain Non-electric detonators, fourteen (14) pieces of primed nonels, ninety-nine (99) pieces of one-inch safety fuses, and One complete roll of Safety fuse.”
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