Rita Odafe
Police Take Down Notorious Terrorists
The Nigeria Police Force has reported a significant success, with their Imo State Command neutralizing three well-known terrorist leaders affiliated with the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Force Public Relations Officer Olumuyiwa Adejobi revealed that the operation occurred on January 24, 2025. Tactical units of the Command acted on reliable intelligence to target and uncover the locations of these terrorists.
In a statement released on Saturday, Adejobi disclosed that the police discovered the terrorists’ hideout within a forest in Ihube, situated in the Okigwe Local Government Area.
When the operatives approached, they faced heavy gunfire from suspected ESN members, who are associated with the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The engagement resulted in the elimination of six members from the terrorist faction, including three leaders identified as Ifeanyi Anayo, also known as Zuma De Rock, Chukwuemeka Odionyenfe, or Nmimi, and Kingsley Sunday.
Additionally, the operation yielded significant findings, including five AK-47 rifles, 552 live rounds, several Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), various communication gadgets, and eight operational motorcycles utilized by the group.
“Prior investigations linked this group to numerous serious crimes, such as the assault on the Owerri Correctional Facility on April 5, 2021, the murder of five police officers in Umunna, Okigwe, on December 12, 2022, and the arson attack on the Arondizuogu Police Station on February 8, 2022.
“Their criminal activities also included many kidnappings. Notably, they were involved in the kidnapping of WAEC staff on June 5, 2023, four reverend sisters on August 21, 2022, and four Chinese nationals on December 6, 2023,” the statement concluded.
