Six terrorists were killed when Imo State Police Command agents destroyed a bunker in Ihube, Okigwe Local Government Area.
The gang was accused of being the masterminds behind the burning of the Arondizuogu Police Station, the attack on the Correctional Center Owerri, the death of five police officers, and multiple kidnappings in Imo State.
ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force’s public relations officer, revealed this in a statement posted on the Force’s Facebook page on Saturday.
Following credible intelligence, Adejobi said, members of the Command’s tactical unit conducted a coordinated operation on January 24, 2025, with the goal of locating and dislodging terrorist hideouts.
He added that police officers had located the terrorists’ hideout in a forest in Ihube, Okigwe LGA, and had swooped on the suspects.
According to him, police officers acting on reliable intelligence raided a forest in Ihube, Imo state’s Okigwe Local Government Area, on Friday. They then closed in on the suspected terrorist group, which included three members of the Eastern Security Network.
He claimed that when the operatives approached the woodland, they were heavily fired upon by suspected IPOB/ESN terrorists, but they showed great bravery and fought the assailants in a bloody gunfight.
The statement read, “The operation resulted in the neutralization of 6 members of the terrorist group, with 3 being ESN kingpins identified as Ifeanyi Anayo a.k.a. Zuma De Rock (28), Chukwuemeka Odionyenfe a.k.a. Nmimi (22), and Kingsley Sunday (21)—all natives of Ogube, Ihube in Okigwe Local Government Area, and the recovery of five AK-47 rifles, 552 rounds of live ammunition, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), some communication equipment, along with 8 operational motorcycles used by the group.
“Prior investigations had revealed the involvement of the group in several high-profile crimes, including the attack on the Owerri Correctional Center on April 5, 2021, the killing of five policemen in Umunna, Okigwe, on December 12, 2022, and the burning of Arondizuogu Police Station on February 8, 2022.
“The group was also involved in multiple kidnappings, including those of WAEC staff on June 5, 2023, four reverend sisters on August 21, 2022, and four Chinese nationals on December 6, 2023.”
He stated that “police operatives attached to the Imo State Police Command have achieved a significant milestone in the ongoing battle against terrorism with the neutralization of three deadly terrorist kingpins associated with the Eastern Security Network (ESN)” and that the operation was a part of the Nigeria Police Force’s efforts to maintain public safety and peace throughout the nation.
Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police, has praised the officers for their extraordinary bravery and collaboration.
In order to maintain the pace and carry out the Force’s action plan, which aims to significantly reduce crimes in the first quarter of 2025, the IGP charged police officers from all commands and formations.
Adejobi urged the public to “remain vigilant and work collaboratively with the Nigeria Police Force to promote peace and ensure a safer environment for all citizens,” but he also stated that the force is unwavering in its commitment to maintaining public safety and national security.