Police Bursts Terrorists’ Camp in Imo, Kill Six 

Operatives of the Imo State Police Command have burst a terrorist hideout in Ihube, Okigwe Local Government Area and killed six members.

The gang was alleged to be the masterminds behind the attack on the Correctional Centre Owerri, the murder of five policemen, the burning of Arondizuogu Police Station, and several kidnaps within Imo State.

Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi disclosed this in a statement shared via the Force’s Facebook page on Saturday.

Adejobi said on January 24, 2025, operatives from the Command’s tactical unit following credible intelligence launched a coordinated operation aimed at locating and dislodging the terrorist hideouts, adding that the police operatives located the terrorists’hideout in a forest within Ihube, Okigwe LGA and swooped on the suspects.

He said the police operatives who acted on credible information on Friday stormed a forest within Ihube, in the Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo state where they swooped on the alleged terrorist gang, three of which were members of the Eastern Security Network.

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 inOkigwe 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.”

The IGP charged police operatives across the different commands and formations to sustain the tempo and implement the Force’s action plan aimed at reducing crimes drastically in the first quarter of the year 2025.

Adejobi said the Nigeria Police Force remains unyielding in its goal towards ensuring national security and public safety.

He however called on members of the public to “Remain vigilant and work collaboratively with the Nigeria Police Force to promote peace and ensure a safer environment for all citizens.”