Police on Sunday said they
arrested 33 people persons suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous
People of Biafra (IPOB) who clashed with the force in Anambra on Friday.
DCP
Jimoh Moshood, Force Public Relations Officers, who spoke with newsmen in Awka,
said those arrested were allegedly responsible for the killing of a police
inspector and inflicting injury on a divisional police officer.
He
said the people also injured other police personnel, setting ablaze a police
patrol vehicle in Nnewi, Anambra, on Nov. 23
The
News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that 20 of the suspects were from
Anambra, two from Abia, three from Imo, two from Ebonyi, three from Enugu, one
from Delta and two from an unknown state.
Moshood
said that the arrested members were suspected IPOB members.
He
said they allegedly committed the crime under the terrorism prevention
amendment act 2013, adding that exhibits recovered from them included eight
motorcycles, five IPOB Flags and five IPOB Caps.
According
to the Police, IPOB is a proscribed terrorist group and all activities of the
group are therefore unlawful, illegal and terrorist act.
“The
33 suspected IPOB members were arrested for the killing of the Police
Inspector, inflicting injury on others and setting ablaze a Police patrol
vehicle are now in police custody, they are undergoing investigation.
“The
Inspector General of Police has directed the Commissioner of Police, Anambra to
carry out intense search operations for the recovery of the two AK47 rifles.
“They
are also to recover one Beretta Pistol with the ammunition snatched from the
slain Police Inspector and other Police Officers wounded by the proscribed IPOB
members.
“They
will all be arraigned in Court on completion of investigation under Terrorism
Prevention Amendment Act 2013,” he said.
IPOB,
through its Media and Publicity Secretary, Mr Emma Powerful in swift reaction,
says none of their members was in Police net.
Mr
Sunday Ilonze, one of the suspects, said he was arrested in his shop.
“I
was in my shop in new motor spare parts when some police men said I should come
out and join the vehicle.
“I
don’t know what happened, I am an innocent businessman, and they arrested me.
I
am a preacher and I can’t lie, they are just intimidating us, I am a good
citizen and cannot run,” he said.
Also,
Mr innocent Okoroafor said he just returned from the burial of a Rev. Father in
Nnewi when he was hounded alongside his apprentice.
Okoroafor,
who said he was the chairman of St Michael’s Catholic choir, added he was
arrested while trying to close his business for the day.
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