Troops of 34 Artillery Brigade Nigerian Army (NA) on Sunday 17 April 2022 ‘neutralised’ a member of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) and its armed affiliate Eastern Security Network (ESN) at Ihioma Community in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State.
A statement by Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director, Army Public Relations said troops on routine patrol encountered members of the IPOB/ESN group who fired sporadically at Banana Junction to enforce the sit-at-home order on law-abiding citizens going about their legitimate businesses.
“The IPOB/ESN criminals, on sighting the troops, withdrew in a blue Toyota Highlander towards Ihioma Community for reinforcement.
“In the firefight that ensued during the operation, one of the criminals was taken out, while others fled in disarray. Troops are combing the general area in follow-up operations to track down the fleeing dissidents.
“Having suffered casualty and effectively denied freedom of action by the troops, the irredentist group have resorted to cheap propaganda to whip up public sentiments by circulating a doctored video on the social media alleging troops complicity in their mindless atrocities. This propaganda should be disregarded in its entirety”, the statement urged.
