Arrested youths suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the security arm of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), confessed yesterday, that they were behind the killing of policemen as well as attacks on police stations and other government institutions in the state.
The Commissioner of Police (CP), Aliyu Garba, while parading the suspects, said they were arrested following credible intelligence.
“About 1830hrs of May 23, 2021, suspected ESN/IPOB members were meeting at Agubia Ikwo, in the residence of one Ebube Ivom (m), 31, a suspected ESN/IPOB Sector Commander,” he said.
Garba said the meeting had in attendance, a Cross River State-based native doctor, who was invited to fortify members of the group with anti-bullet charms in preparation to attack Onueke Divisional Headquarters and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Ezza South Local Council of Ebonyi by 8.30p.m.
![[FILES] A ballot box with the lettering ‘Independent national electoral commission’ . INEC officials failed to turn up some part of Imo state.. Luis TATO / AFP](https://www.afriupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/000_1DH8FP-1062x598-1-120x86.jpg "INEC concludes collation of presidential election results in Ebonyi 5")
A 17-year-old self-confessed member of ESN in Ebonyi, Elom Daniel, told journalists at the state police command, where he was paraded alongside 59 other suspects, that they decided to be killing security personnel and destroying security facilities because of the alleged inability of the police and army to stop criminal Fulani herdsmen from killing people and causing destruction in the South East.
Elom, from Ngbo in Ohaukwu Local Council of Ebonyi, said: “I am a member of ESN. I was part of the team that attacked police at Ishieke checkpoint, army at Amasiri checkpoint, Onueke Police Station, Central Police Station (CPS) in Abakaliki and other security checkpoints in Ebonyi. But I have not killed any security personnel because I have not handled guns.
“My duty is to give information about any place to be attacked. For instance, before we attacked CPS, I first went there pretending that I wanted to see someone in the police cell. I monitored the environment and the surroundings and drew a map that guided those that went for the attack.”
Another suspect, Jona Ozibo (a.k.a. Ojukwu) who also confessed to being a member of the ESN, said they were trained at a place called Alanso in Arochukwu, Abia State.
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