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Combined security operatives in Anambra State have dislodged suspected members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed militant wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the state.
The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
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Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the suspected IPOB/ESN fighters were dislodged when the combined security operatives raided their hideouts on 2 September.
The camp, he said, was located in Aguluezechukwu, a community in Aguata Local Government Area of the state.
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The spokesperson said the operation, led by police, was conducted in collaboration with troops from the 302 Artillery Regiment of the Nigerian Army, personnel of the State Security Service, and the Anambra State Vigilante Group.
“During the operation, which lasted over five hours, the militia members were successfully dislodged, their camp destroyed, while several of them escaped with varying degrees of gunshot wounds,” he said.
A white Lexus 470 SUV and several improvised explosive devices were recovered from the scene, according to the police.
“The area has since been stabilised and remains calm as monitoring continues to ensure the safety and security of residents, while efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects,” Mr Ikenga said.
The spokesperson said the police in Anambra State have assured residents that they are committed to sustaining the fight against criminality and restoring peace across the state.
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Worsening insecurity
Like other states in Nigeria’s South-east, security has deteriorated in Anambra State with frequent attacks by armed persons.
Several people, including government officials and security operatives, have been killed in some deadly attacks by hoodlums terrorising residents of the state.
The Nigerian government has accused IPOB of being behind the deadly attacks in the South-east and South-south Nigeria.
But the group has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks.
IPOB is a group leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria.
