The police in Enugu state say they have raided the camp of the proscribed IPOB/ESN in Agu-Ibeje forest, Enugu-Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area in Enugu State.

Police spokesman Daniel Ndukwe on Tuesday said the command’s tactical squads and Operation Restore Peace carried out a tactical and intelligence-driven dusk to dawn raid on the IPOB/ESN camp between August 11 and 12.

Mr Ndukwe said the raid was in pursuance of the crime-fighting strategies devised by the state’s Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Lawal.

He said the hoodlums, on sighting the police operatives, engaged them in a gun duel, which led to the neutralisation of one of them.

The police spokesman said that several others escaped with varying degrees of fatal gunshot wounds, due to the superior firepower of the operatives.

“The operation led to the discovery and exhumation, from a shallow grave in the camp, of the corpse of their victim identified as Johnson Okpanachi, a Police Officer serving in Igbo-Eze North Police Division.

“Okpanachi had gone missing on July 30, with all efforts made to trace his whereabouts proving abortive.

“Items recovered at the Camp included 12 firearms, including one AR-K2 Assault rifle, six pump action guns, one locally-made Beretta-like pistol and five locally-fabricated double-barreled guns.

He said 98 live cartridges, two machetes, one digger, one battle axe and one hacksaw were recovered.

According to Mr Ndukwe, five motor vehicles, including  three Toyota Sienna minivans, one Honda Pilot Jeep and one Hiace (Hummer) bus loaded with assorted Ankara fabrics were also retrieved.

The police spokesman said that all the items recovered were snatched from their owners at different times within the area by the hoodlums.

He added that 20 different brands of motorcycles with their number plates removed; one police bullet-proof vest, one pair of police camouflage uniform, one pair of military camouflage uniform with a cap and military singlet were found in the camp.

He listed several other items including the Biafra flag, 22 different brands of mobile phones among others.