Biafra

Security operatives nab native doctor who allegedly prepares charms for IPOB

Published

6 months ago

June 19, 2024

Combined security operatives have arrested four suspected members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the militant wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in Anambra State.

The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the arrests in a statement on Tuesday.

The suspects were intercepted in Ufuma, Orumba North Local Government Area, following information received about planned attacks on security agents and innocent citizens by the group. The joint operation was led by police operatives, though other participating security agencies were not specified.

One of the arrested individuals, identified as 32-year-old Maduabuchi Nwafor, also known as Omenkpo, was allegedly a native doctor preparing charms for the ESN members. Nwafor, a native of the Ufuma Community, reportedly used his shrine for initiation ceremonies and as a meeting point for the group.

“One of the suspects, who is already assisting the police with information, confessed to being one of the gunmen dispatched by the group to enforce an illegal sit-at-home order on 30 May 2024,” Mr. Ikenga stated.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Nnaghe Itam, has ordered a thorough investigation to uncover the hideouts of the separatist group in Anambra State. Mr. Itam accused the ESN of seeking to destabilize development in the state and assured residents that the police would continue to serve them selflessly.

He also appealed to residents to support the police with information that could aid their investigations, promising to protect the sources of such information.

IPOB is a group aiming to establish an independent state of Biafra from south-east and parts of south-south Nigeria. The group has been linked to several deadly attacks in these regions, although it has repeatedly denied involvement in the violence.