“The operation, which has been underway for several weeks, has successfully dismantled a significant base used by the criminal group in launching violent attacks on innocent citizens and security personnel,” the police said.

Security operatives have dismantled a “notorious” hideout of suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed militant wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Imo State, Nigeria’s South-east.

The police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Mr Okoye, an assistant superintendent of police, said the hideout was located in Aku, a community in Okigwe Local Government Area of the state.

The police spokesperson said the hideout was linked to the separatist group in the area under the leadership of an ESN commander known as “Gentle.”

He said the hideout was dismantled when combined security forces raided it recently.

“The operation, which has been underway for several weeks, has successfully dismantled a significant base used by the criminal group in launching violent attacks on innocent citizens and security personnel,” Mr Okoye said.

“This breakthrough has led to the arrest of key suspects and has significantly improved security in the state.”

The police spokesperson did not indicate when the operation was conducted in the area.

He said the joint operation was carried out by personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian military, the State Security Service (SSS), and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

Visit

Mr Okoye said the Commissioner in Imo State, Aboki Danjuma, visited the dismantled hideout on Tuesday alongside heads of other security agencies.

He said the Commander of the 34 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Obinze, U.A. Lawal, and the Commander of the Naval Base, Oguta, were part of the visit.

Others included the State Director of the SSS, the State Commissioner for Homeland Security, Modestus Osakwe, and the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State on security affairs, Joseph Ogbonna.

“The purpose (of the visit) was to evaluate the progress of the ongoing operation and boost the morale of the joint security forces,” Mr Okoye stated.

“The visit by the key security commanders in the state highlights the ongoing efforts to combat terrorism and restore peace in the state.

“Their collective presence at the joint security operation in Aku underscores the seriousness with which authorities are addressing security challenges in the state,” he added.

‘Return to your community’

Speaking during the visit, Mr Ogbonna, a retired brigadier-general, urged the people of Aku to return to their community and cooperate with security agencies in fighting criminals in the area.

The governor’s aide assured them of the Imo State Government’s commitment to providing the necessary logistics for their safety.

On his part, Mr Danjuma appealed to the residents to continue offering “actionable intelligence” to aid ongoing security operations targeting criminals in the state.

Like the police commissioner, Mr Lawal, a brigadier-general, also stressed the importance of public cooperation to ensure the operation’s continued success.

The army chief reaffirmed security agencies’ dedication to maintaining peace and safety across Imo State.

IPOB, a group seeking to carve out a sovereign state of Biafra from the 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.

The Nigerian security agencies, mainly the military, have been raiding camps belonging to the group and other separatist groups, mainly in the South-east.

Both personnel of the security agencies and members of the separatist groups have been killed during such operations in the region.