Police operatives attached to the Imo State Police Command have achieved a significant milestone in the ongoing battle against terrorism with the killing of three deadly terrorist kingpins associated with the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Operatives from the Command’s tactical Unit following credible intelligence launched a coordinated operation aimed at locating and dislodging the terrorist hideouts.
The police operatives located the terrorists’ hideout in a forest within Ihube, Okigwe Local Government Area.
A statement released by the Force Public Relations officer, |ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi on Saturday says the operation resulted in the Killing of six members of the terrorist group, with three being ESN kingpins identified as Ifeanyi Anayo a.k.a. Zuma De Rock (28), Chukwuemeka Odionyenfe a.k.a. Nmimi (22), and Kingsley Sunday (21)—all natives of Ogube, Ihube in Okigwe Local Government Area.
The operatives also recovered five AK-47 rifles, 552 rounds of live ammunition, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), several communication equipment, along with 8 operational motorcycles used by the group.
The statement added that prior investigations had revealed the involvement of the group in several high-profile crimes, including the attack on the Owerri Correctional Centre on April 5, 2021, the killing of five policemen in Umunna, Okigwe, on December 12, 2022, and the burning of Arondizuogu Police Station on February 8, 2022.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun commended the operatives for their exceptional display of bravery and coordination and charged personnel across commands to sustain the tempo at reducing crimes drastically in the first quarter of 2025.
