‘IPOB member’ killed in gun duel with police in Ebonyi

The Ebonyi police command says its operatives have killed a suspected member of the proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB).

In a statement, Onome Onovwakpoyeya, the state’s police spokesperson, said some armed men, suspected to be IPOB members, went to Okposi in Ohaozara LGA of the state and started shooting sporadically.

She said on receiving the information, operatives of the command swung into action by going after the “hoodlums” who were trying to enforce a sit-at-home.

“The hoodlums engaged them in a gun duel, which resulted in one of them being neutralised, while the others escaped with varying degrees of bullet wounds,” Onovwakpoyeya said.

She said exhibits recovered were one blue Highlander jeep riddled with bullets, one pump action gun, five cartridges, four cellphones, one Sumec Firman generator and charms.

Others were assorted kinds of provisions robbed from shops, one red and one black face mask, 10 expended pump action gun cartridges and nine expended shells of AK-47 rifle ammunition.

Meanwhile, Simon Ekpa, self-acclaimed disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB leader, has declared another sit-at-home in the south-east, starting from July 31 to August 14.

He warned market leaders and oil companies working in the region to adhere strictly to the directive, saying failure to comply may come with “heavy consequences”.