A notorious terror kingpin and his fighters in Imo State were feared killed on Tuesday when Nigerian troops raided their hideout in Aku-Ihube, a community in Okigwe Local Government Area of the state.
The terror kingpin, Ifeanyi Eze, is also known as Gentle De Yahoo.
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Mr Eze, who claims to be a Biafra agitator, has been linked to growing attacks in Okigwe Local Government Area of the South-eastern state, including the recent murder of three of his fighters in the area.
The terror kingpin is a commander of Biafra Liberation Army in Okigwe which was established by Simon Ekpa, another controversial Biafra agitator and leader of Autopilot, a faction of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
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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.
Mr Ekpa was recently jailed for terrorism in Finland, a North European country.
The operation
Multiple military sources told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Eze and some members of his terror group were traced to their hideout in the Aku-Ihube, his community.
One of the sources told this newspaper that the operation was carried out by troops of 34 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army.
The source, a soldier who took part ìn the operation, said he and his colleagues killed the terror kingpin during the operation.
“We hit the guy down,” the soldier said in Pidgin English language, implying that the troops shot dead the terror kingpin.
But a top military source told PREMIUM TIMES on telephone that although the troops shot dead some members of the terror group during the operation, Army authorities were yet to confirm if Mr Eze was among those killed in the operation.
The military source, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the incident, said the troops trekked for over four hours to the hideout because using their vehicle would have given a signal to the enemies they were targeting.
He said the troops successfully surrounded the criminal hideout and began shooting.
According to him, Mr Eze’s boys also began firing from the roof which prompted the troops to set the building ablaze to force the terror group to come out.
“Immediately the house was set ablaze, three males and two females jumped out of the building and attempted to escape, but the troops shot them dead,” he said.
He said another male jumped out of the building moments later and scaled the fence, but was equally shot dead by the troops.
“The troops recovered the bodies of the male fighters, but we are yet to confirm if Gentle De Yahoo was among those killed,” he said.
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Army, police silent
A top police officer in Imo State declined to confirm the development to PREMIUM TIMES when contacted.
The officer, who asked not to be quoted, simply said the police in the state were awaiting confirmation from the military authorities in Abuja.
The spokesperson of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, O.O. Ayeni, did not respond to calls and a text message seeking his comments.
Abduction, threat to kill ex-Imo lawmaker
The latest development occurred days after some self-acclaimed Biafra agitators in Okigwe abducted and then threatened to kill a former lawmaker in Imo State, Ngozi Ogbu, if authorities and villagers fail to withdraw security operatives reportedly deployed in a place known as White House in Okigwe Local Government Area.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the Imo State Government had said it was “doing everything within its power to secure the safe release” of Mr Ogbu.
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