° Accuse IPOB of killing 3 policemen
Three suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), today,met their Waterloo at Ogbada Quarters along Illah–Akwukwu-Igbo road,when they attacked a police patrol team, but ended up losing one of their members.
Two other members, were said to have escaped into the bush with bullet wounds .
However, the State Commissioner of Police Mr. Muhammed Ali, at a press briefing in Asaba, declared wanted the escapees gang members and ordered the police to comb the bushes.
Mr. Ali said,” at about 7.35 am , Police patrol team attached to Illah Division, while on stop and search duty at Ogbada Quarters along Illah–Akwukwu-Igbo road, three armed men suspected to be members of the proscribed IPOB, attacked the team. The team engaged them in a fierce gun duel during which one of the hoodlums was neutralized, while the other members of the gang escaped with gunshot injuries. One AK47 rifle with breech no 2534896 and six rounds of 7.62MM ammunition was recovered. Manhunt for the fleeing members of the gang is ongoing.
” You will recall that one week ago, Okpanam Police Division, was attacked few metres away from the division. Following that attack, the command has not been resting on its’ quest to ensure that those who committed the atrocity are brought to book. Our men have been out , conducting stop and search; raiding black spots, combing the hideouts and enclaves of suspected members of the IPOB, which paid off this morning, when Divisional Police Officer in-charge of Illah division and his men on stop and search were attacked by IPOB members. Our men were able to bring the leader of the syndicate down, while others escaped with bullet injuries. The body is being paraded today. We recovered one AK-47 riffle . You recalled that two AK-47 were carted away in the last week’s attack. To God be the glory, we have been able to recover one and it is remaining one. We have neutralized one of the Criminal elementa , while others escaped into the bush. The onslaught against them is a continuous one . When you take a look at the dead body, you will see charms tied round his waist and other symbols of members of IPOB. We know their trademark and their modus operandi . They always mask up their faces .All over them are charms. Although the man is not alive, but others will learn a lesson that they are wasting their times with all those rubbish they tie round their bodies as protective charms . The other members of the gang,who ran into the bush, will now have a rethink when they want to commit crime and that is only when they survive the gunshot injuries. I want to commend my men for their brevity and courage. On the family of the deceased officers who lost their lives during the attack, the IGP and the Governor of Delta State have promised to reward their families.
Residents should not entertain any fear, they should rely on what the command is doing. We are dealing with the criminal elements on daily basis.
“There is nothing like unknown gunmen. As part of the efforts we are making to ensure that people do not stay at home in compliance with the illegal order given by the IPOB, especially the Monday sit-at-home order,every week, this command usually embark on show of force,to show our readiness and preparedness to tackle and frustrate the sinister motives of the IPOB and other criminal elements. Part of what you have seen this morning,is as a result of the efforts that this command is making. We don’t sleep so as to be sure that those who people refer as unknown gunmen are known, because they are humans and not spirits. We are not going to stop at anything to seeing that this state will not come under the order of so called IPOB ,where they compel people to sit-at-home every Monday.We are out 24 hours and I won’t allow it in the command under my watch”.
