Combined security agencies have killed a suspected bomb expert of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its militant wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Nigeria’s South-east.

The spokesperson of the Nigerian army, Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement on Friday said the suspect was killed on Wednesday during a clearance operation by the security agencies at Orsu-Ihitteukwa, a community in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.

Mr Nwachukwu, a major general, said the security agencies comprised personnel of the Nigerian army, Navy, Air Force, Nigerian police, State Security Service and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.
How the suspect was killed

The army spokesperson said the security agencies intercepted the suspected IPOB/ESN members during the operation in the area.

He said, during the operation, the suspected IPOB members “opened fire, lobbed hand held improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and launched locally made rockets” at the advancing security personnel.

“While the security agencies advanced, several IEDs were detonated by the terrorists who fled in disarray. One of the dissidents was neutralised, while connecting the explosive to its power source,” Mr Nwachukwu said.

Locally made rocket launchers, defused IEDs, pipes, wires, locally made rocket launchers and other materials used in the production of explosives were among the items recovered from the separatists, according to the army.

The security personnel covered several ditches used as obstacles on the roads linking the communities by the suspected ESN members.

The army spokesperson vowed that the Nigerian army will continue to conduct its operations to deter the separatists from carrying out attacks.

IPOB, a group seeking to carve out a sovereign state of Biafra from South-east and some parts of the South-south of Nigeria, has been linked to some deadly attacks in the two regions.

But the separatist group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.