The Imo State Police Command on Monday, said a 15-year-old boy, Emmanuel Nnaji, a native of Awala in Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State, was the one who led the police tactical team to a hotel in Orlu Local Government, from where attacks were planned and executed in Omuma, Oru East Local Government and Njaba Police station in the State.
The Imo State Police Commissioner, Abutu Yaro, said this in Owerri while parading over twenty suspected members of the Eastern Security Network, ESN, who were arrested from the said hotel in Orlu. In addition, Yaro said seven females were among those arrested.
It was said that the hotel was where a victim was beheaded by the suspects and the head placed along the road. Also, the ESN members were arrested with Army camouflage uniforms, arms and ammunition.
The police said part of their discovery was that the owner of the said hotel accommodated and gave financial support to the ESN members as a base from where they launched attacks in the State.
According to the Police, “Sequel to the recent attack on Omuma Police station and Njaba Police Station respectively, where the bandits were swiftly repelled by the ever-alert tactical teams of Imo State Police Command and the unfortunate loss of a Divisional Police Officer and the arrest of one of the bandits Emmanuel Nnaji ‘M’ age 15 years, a native of Awala in Ideato South LGA of Imo State with bullet wounds and brought to the station.
“On interrogation by the command’s tactical teams, the suspect gave a vivid description of a Hotel located in Orlu as were they, the bandits stayed, planned before they executed their dastardly act on the police stations.
“The owner of the Hotel has been accommodating and assisting them financially. He then volunteered and led security forces to the location of the hotel. On arrival, the hotel and house were cordoned and searched exhibits were recovered from the arrested twenty-six suspects including seven females in the hotel they incudes.
“It is on good record that, it was in the same hotel that the head of a young man was severed and placed on the road close to the hotel premises. Presently, the investigation is ongoing and the suspects are undergoing interrogation.”
However, the Police said it “Recalled that, in the same Orlu, some months ago during the peak of IPOB/ ESN attacks and killing of Police officers including innocent citizens and burning of Police stations in the state.
“That, the command’s tactical teams and Special forces, after a diligent gathering of technical intelligence, arrested one Boniface Okeke ‘Male’ age 57 years from Obor Autonomous Community in Orlu LGA of Imo State in connection with terrorism and attacks on security agencies and private individuals where several Police stations were burnt down and police officers killed in numbers.”
“On interrogation, he confessed of being a facilitator and financer of IPOB/ ESN Operation in the state to the tune of ten million Naira ( #10,000,000 ) while he was outside the country. He assisted the police in the arrest of some of their members and decimation of their Camps in the state.
“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Abutu Yaro, FDC, while commending the good people of Orlu and Imo State in general, pleaded for calm as security agencies are doing everything humanly possible to sustain the already improved peace in the state,” Police said.