By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Anambra State Police Command has reacted to the trending report of the arrest of some suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its security arm, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
The media space was awashed on Thursday with publications alleging that three IPOB/ESN members were arrested at Nnobi, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State on Wednesday. The publications were coming at the week when a self-acclaimed Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa was said to have declared a 7-day sit-at-home in all the five states of the South-eastern Nigeria.
The report read: “A security operatives in Anambra State have arrested three suspected members of the outlawed Eastern Security Network (ESN) and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
“They were arrested on Wednesday by operatives attached to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Aguata who were on a stop-and-search duty at Afor Nnobi road junction around 7:50pm.
“The suspects were reportedly intercepted with two AK-47 rifles with 150 live ammunition, fake police and army uniforms, two cell phones, two bulletproof vests, two walkie-talkies.”
However, when contacted by this reporter, Izunna Okafor, for confirmation and clarification of the reports; the Police Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Police Command, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, debunked the publications as old news which people recently exhumed.
He attested that some suspected IPOB/ESN members were actually arrested in Anambra, but said it happened three weeks ago.
“This is not a recent development. It is old news that. It happened about three or four weeks ago. I think people just brought it up again,” he said in a telephone interview.
