The Anambra State Police Command announced that it raided a camp belonging to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Ufuma, Orumba North Local Government Area, arresting four suspects.
According to a statement released on Tuesday by state police spokesman SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the operation was carried out by a police-led Joint Security Force in Aguata.
This action followed intelligence reports of planned attacks on security agents and civilians by the group.
Ikenga detailed, “On June 17, 2024, the Police-led Joint Security Force in Aguata intercepted four suspected ESN militia in Ufuma, Orumba North LGA, Anambra State.
The arrests followed information received over time regarding planned attacks by the group on security personnel and innocent citizens.”
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Among the arrested suspects was Maduabuchi Nwafor, also known as Omenkpo, a 32-year-old native of Ufuma.
Nwafor has been identified as a native doctor who prepares charms for the group and uses his shrine for initiation ceremonies and meetings.
Another suspect, whose name has been withheld, is assisting the police with information and has confessed to being one of the gunmen dispatched by the group to enforce the illegal sit-at-home order on May 30, 2024.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Itam, has ordered an extensive investigation to uncover other hideouts of the insurgents aiming to destabilize the state.
The CP assured residents that the police command would continue to protect informers and serve the community diligently.
“The police command, under my watch, will continue to serve Ndi Anambra selflessly and will protect the sources of its information to ensure the safety of informers,” the statement concluded.
