The Imo State Police Command, on Thursday, said it has discovered a deadly shrine and arrested seven suspected members of the Eastern Security Network, ESN, of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, as well as a live python they used to fortify themselves before their deadly attacks.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Micheal Abattam, who confirmed this to journalists in Owerri, said “The Command’s Tactical Teams, on 18/5/2022 at about 0600 hours hastily mobilized when it received credible information that the native doctor who prepares charms for fortifications against bullets and knives for group has returned after fleeing the community.”

Narrating how the Police raided the camps, the police said, “With the positive revelations made in course of interrogating the suspects earlier arrested in connection with the killing, the team was able to locate the criminal hideout in Ubah Agwa in Oguta LGA of Imo State and immediately cordoned-off the area and tactically went into the den.

“The hoodlums on sighting the police operatives, attempted to escape only to discover that the whole escape routes had been saturated with police operatives hence, they were arrested. ”

He gave the names of the arrested suspects as “Casmire Mgbugha ‘m’ aged 53 years, Hycent Chimezie ‘m’ aged 30 years, Hycent Azunna ‘m’ aged 28 years, Hycent Ifesinachi ‘m’ aged 26 years, Hycent Chimobi ‘m’ aged 23 years, Chukwuemeka Wisdom ‘m’ aged 22 years and Nnadike Clifford ‘m’ aged 72 years.”

The police said on searching the terror camp, the following items were recovered: one Toyota Camry car with registration number AKD 73 BF LAGOS, one live Python, eight locally made Pistols, eighteen rounds of live cartridges, one Biafra flag, a pair of Police Carmouflage Uniform belonging to late Inspector Felicia Nwagbara ‘f’, who has been declared missing since 2017 by police authorities

While coming out of the terror camp, one of the suspects, Hycent Chimezie for the second time, attempted escaping and was maimed on the leg, the police spokesman said.

The police further said the suspects confessed to have murdered late Inspector Felicia Nwagbara who was the second wife to one of the suspects – Casmire Mgbugba.

The suspected hoodlums further stated that they were the manufacturers of the locally made guns recovered from them, which they also sell to robbers and kidnappers.

“The Command wishes to use this medium to appreciate the good people of Imo State for their undaunting support and assures them of the command’s commitments in sustaining the already improved security architecture in the State,” he said.