Troops of 34 Artillery Brigade have neutralized elements of the proscribed terrorist group, the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Osina, Ideator North Local Government Area of Imo State.
The Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 34 Artillery Brigade, Capt. Joseph Akubo, said on Saturday, that the encounter between troops and the IPOB/ESN elements occured on Friday, 27 December 2024.
According to him, the troops, on their way back from routine patrols, responded to a distress call about an attack by the terrorist group on Osina Community. On arrival, the troops engaged the terrorists with overwhelming fire power, causing the dissidents to withdraw in disarray.
However, 2 security agents were killed, and 1 other missing during the encounter, with their weapons, an Ak-47 rifle and a Tear Gas Launcher carted away by the terrorists.The corpses of the slain agents were recovered and the troops proceeded in pursuit of the fleeing terrorists.
Akubo said that contact was again made with the criminal elements at Nkwachi Community and in the firefight that ensued, one of the dissidents was neutralized while others who could not withstand the troop’s fire power ran into the nearby forest. One (1) AK-47 rifle with a fully loaded magazine was recovered.
The unrelenting troops continued to pursue the remnant of the criminals deep into Umalouma forest where a heavy firefight further broke out. The dissidents finally abandoned their weapons due to troops’ superior fire power and scampered into the thickly forested area with severe gunshot injuries.
An additional five AK-47 rifles, 1 Fabrique Nationale Rifle and five magazines were recovered. A total of five AK 47 Rifles and a tear gas launcher were recovered.
Akubo stated that, “further exploitation is ongoing as troops will continue to trail the injured terrorists and smoke them out of their hideouts and places of treatment. We urge all IPOB/ESN irredentists and other criminal elements hiding in the bushes to surrender to the nearest troops’ location or meet their waterloo as troops of the Brigade will continue to ensure that Imolites celebrate the yuletide season in peace without fear or intimidation”.
He appealed to citizens of the state to continue to support the military by giving timely intelligence on the hideouts and movements of the terrorists to enable them rid the state of all criminality.
