Troops raid ‘IPOB camp’ in Abia, kill ‘six members’

Troops of Operation Udo Ka have killed six suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Abia.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Nigerian army said the suspected separatists were killed on Saturday during a raid on their on camps in Igboro forest, Arochukwu LGA of the state.

The Nigerian army said the “clearance/ raid operation” was conducted to “apprehend” the killers of five soldiers in Aba last month.

“During the intelligence led operation, troops encountered Improvised Explosive Devices along it’s axis of advance and one soldier sustained minor injury from the fragment,” the statement reads.

“The terrorists’ feeble firefight were adequately subdued with superior firepower that led to the neutralization of 6 members of the criminal terrorists group while others escaped into adjoining bushes with varying degrees of gunshot wounds as blood stains were seen along their escape routes.”

The Nigerian army said troops recovered weapons, including three locally fabricated rocket propelled grenade launchers, two locally fabricated artillery gun with tripod and bombs, guns, Biafran flags, Toyota Tundra and Hilux vehicles.

The DHQ had promised to revenge the killing of the five soldiers in Obingwa LGA of Abia state.

The soldiers were killed on May 30 by gunmen who were reportedly enforcing the the IPOB sit-at-home directive.

The gunmen opened fire on a military checkpoint in Obikabia junction in the LGA, killing the soldiers. 

The governors of the region and Ben Kalu, deputy speaker of the house of representatives, had condemned the murder.