Troops of Nigerian Army attached to the 82 Division have killed scores of members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) during a gun duel at Amagu village Nkalaha community, Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The dissident group members were neutralized by the operatives of Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Police and Department of State Services who were on Exercise GOLDEN DAWN II on Monday.
Army spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, who disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, explained that some members of the group disturbing the peace of South East fled with gunshots during the joint operation.
Nwachukwu stated that the troops recovered 102 rounds of 7.62mm special, 2 pump-action guns, 5 locally-made rifles, 1 roll of detonator 27, 33 electrical cables, 36 hand grenades and 12 bags of substances suspected to be Marijuana.
Other items recovered, according to the military officer, include: 3 motorcycles, 2 generators, 1 water pumping machine, military woodland camouflage and the Nigeria Police uniform.
Speaking further, he said in a separate operation on the same date, troops on routine patrol in Agubeji community in Enugu State arrested a suspect, one Mr Martins Abogwu, for conniving with IPOB/ESN elements to unleash attacks on innocent citizens.
According to him, the suspect, who claimed he was the chief security officer of the community was assisting in the preliminary investigations and had led troops to their camp, where a shallow grave containing two decomposing bodies were uncovered.