Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu in a statement in Owerri on Tuesday said the troops also recovered weapons belonging to the gunmen.
A photo of gunmen suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra arrested by troops of the 34 Artillery Brigade, Nigerian Army has been made public.
Recall that two of the members of the group were also neutralised during a fierce gun battle on Orlu – Orsu Road, Imo State, according to the Nigerian army.
Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu in a statement in Owerri on Tuesday said the troops also recovered weapons belonging to the gunmen.
He listed weapons recovered from the gunmen to include one AK 47 rifle, two magazines, one Police grenade launcher, two Baofeng communication radios and five mobile phones.
Nwachukwu said the troops, while on routine patrol, made contact with suspected elements of the IPOB around the general area of Aluminium Company and All Saints Church, along the Orlu-Orsu road.
He said that on sighting the patrol team, the criminal elements opened fire and launched grenade attack on the troops.
Nwachukwu said that the vigilant troops responded with superior firepower, neutralising two of the criminal elements, compelling others to flee in disarray.
“In a hot pursuit that followed the encounter, troops arrested four of the fleeing gunmen and recovered one AK 47 rifle, two magazines, one Police grenade launcher, two Baofeng communication radios and five mobile phones.
“The troops also recovered one IPOB beret, two motorcycles, four SIM cards, five wallets containing different Identity cards, charms and the sum of N16, 460.
“Preliminary investigation on the suspects’ mobile phones reveals gory pictures and videos depicting scenes of cold-blooded murders, corpses displayed in shrines and other heinous atrocities committed by the criminals,” he said