The Imo State Police Command has revealed that men of the command shot dead one suspected member of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN) terror gang at Umuchoke in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, during a gun duel.
Police Public Relations Officer in Imo State, CSP Michael Abattam disclosed in a statement that the hoodlum had been on the command’s wanted list but was at large after participating in several killings of police officers and torching of police stations.
The police said it recovered one locally made double barrel pistol with two expended cartridges, two live cartridges and the charms he tied around his waist to fortify himself against police bullet.
The command’s said its tactical team after diligent intelligence gathering, on the 6th of October, 2021 at about 1630 hours, mobilized and stormed the shop of the hoodlum, who was later identified as Uchenna Chukwu, aged 34 yrs ‘M’ of Umunakanu in Ehime Mbano LGA of Imo State.
“On sighting the police operatives, he raised the alarm alerting other members of his gang, picked a cutlass and rushed at one of the police operatives in an attempt to chop off his head but was overpowered, disarmed and the cutlass recovered from him.
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“While this was on, the already alerted members came in their number and engaged the police operatives in a gun duel but were overwhelmed by the superior fire power of the police and in the process, one of them was neutralized while others escaped with bullet wounds into hiding.”
The suspect is undergoing interrogation and has made useful statement to the investigating team, revealing their hideouts and the abode of other members of his gang on the run.
