Police arrest absconded soldier turned IPOB commander in Imo

It was gathered that the army deserter had been on the wanted list of state police command for a long time.

The 34-year-old Chiwendu reportedly hailed from Amaohuru Nguru in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State where he was arrested on Friday, December 23, 2022, at about 10.30 am.

Parading the suspect before newsmen in Owerri on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Mike Abattam, said Chinwendu adopted gorilla warfare tactics whereby he unleashed surprise terror attacks and went into hiding in neighbouring states.

Narrating how the suspect was arrested, the PPRO said he (Chinwendu) took a vantage position as his members went on surveillance, and on sighting the police operatives, they took to their heels, engaging operatives in a gun duel while using the crowd as a shield.

Abattam's words: “The gallant police operatives retaliated, professionally and tactically to avoid bullet hitting innocent persons in the crowd. He was later arrested after a long chase alongside two of his gang members with bullet injuries while others escaped. Amazingly, he did not sustain any bullet injury; this he attributed to the charms worn all over his body. He called it “Odeshi,” which means native bulletproof.

“On searching the house and premises of the suspect, the following items were recovered: five pump-action guns; two double-barreled guns; four locally-made pistols, 50 rounds of live cartridges; nine locally-made hand-grenades, ESN regalia and various charms and rings.

“In the course of interrogation, the terror Kingpin confessed to have enlisted into the Nigerian Army in 2013, where he trained as an engineer and became an expert in weapons handling and servicing of all heavy automatic weapons.

“He rose to the rank of Lance Corporal before he deserted the Army and joined the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its arm affiliate, Eastern Security Network (ESN) through one Ebubechukwu (surname unknown) and became the Operational Commander and Chief Trainer of the outlawed group where he claimed to have trained over one thousand members in weaponry and terror attack in their camp located in Ogbotoukwu, a forest, in Obowu LGA of Imo State.

“He further confessed to have participated and led in several vicious killings of Security personnel, attacks on INEC offices, burning of Police stations, murder of innocent people, armed robbery/kidnapping, terrorism and narrated how on 30th May, 2021, they murdered the late Ahmed Gulak, the former political adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“He confessed that he led the operation and they double crossed and stopped the Toyota Camry Taxi car that was taking him and his friend to the airport and ordered them to come down, shot him but the bullet did not penetrate his body, so he went to him and removed the rings on his right fingers, shot and killed him along airport road.

Other killings he led included “the recent killing of the Labour Party Senatorial candidate, burning of his house and Jeep.

“He led his gang members including one Okechukwu Duru and others, to kidnap one Jude Nwahiri on the 4th of November 2021, collected ransom of N21m after killing four persons in the residence of the victim at Amaohuru Nguru in Aboh Mbaise LGA, Imo State.

“The murder of the traditional ruler of Amaohuru Nguru Aboh Mbaise LGA, Imo state HRH Eze Anthony Anyanwu on 10/12/2021.”