IMO POLICE COMMAND, SECURITY AGENCIES ALLEGEDLY DISLODGED IPOB/ESN HIDEOUTS IN NJABA, RECOVER ARMS
Anselem Anokwute in Owerri
In a continued effort to rid Imo State of criminal elements and restore peace across communities, operatives of the Imo State Police Command, in collaboration with other security agencies, conducted a coordinated operation on August 18, 2025, at Ubaa, Umuaka in Njaba Local Government Area. The raid successfully dislodged the hideouts of suspected commanders of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
The Police public Relations Officer DSP Henry Okoye stated that the operation followed actionable intelligence and confessional statements obtained from two arrested suspects: Uchenna Opara and Ozioma Ihedoro. Upon arrival at the location, the security team came under heavy fire from the armed militants. However, they were swiftly overpowered by the superior firepower of the joint security forces. The assailants fled into nearby bushes with varying degrees of gunshot injuries.
According to DSP Henry Okoye said that the subsequent search of the hideouts led to the recovery of significant arms and equipment, including:
One AK-47 rifle with three magazines
Forty rounds of live AK-47 ammunition
Sixty rounds of live General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) ammunition
Two pump-action shotguns
Five hundred and eighty-two live cartridges
Two Biafran flags
One Point-of-Sale (POS) machine
Investigations are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Aboki Danjuma, has reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to maintaining law and order in the state. He called on the public to remain vigilant and to report anyone with gunshot wounds or suspicious behavior to the nearest police station.
Members of the public are also encouraged to use the Command’s emergency line — 0803 477 3600 — to provide timely and useful information.
