Two weeks after a police officer, Okpanachi Johnson was declared missing in Enugu State, his corpse has been discovered and exhumed from a shallow grave in IPOB/ESN camp located within Agu-Ibeje Forest in the Enugu-Ezike community of Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of the state.
In a tactical and intelligence-driven dusk-to-dawn raid of the said camp by policemen attached to the state command’s Tactical Squads and Operation Restore Peace between 11 and 12 August 11 2022, it was a ‘big fight of the Titans’, as a fierce gun battle ensued between the hoodlums and police operatives, auspicated by the hoodlums.
The policemen, however, proved their superiority in the handling of firearms, killing one of the hoodlums while others scampered to safety in different directions with varying degrees of gunshot injuries.
In a statement by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Daniel Ndukwe, 12 firearms, including one AR-K2 Assault, six Pump Action guns, one locally-made Berretta-like pistol and five locally-fabricated double-barreled guns, 98 live cartridges; two machetes, one digger, one battle axe and one jacksaw were recovered from the camp
Also recovered were five vehicles, comprising three Toyota Sienna minivans, a Honda Pilot Jeep and a Hiace (Hummer) bus loaded with assorted Ankara fabrics, all reported to have been snatched from their owners at different times within the area by the hoodlums,
Other items recovered by the operatives were 20 different brands of motorcycles, with their number plates removed; a Police bullet-proof vest; a pair of Police camouflage uniforms; a pair of Military camouflage uniforms with a cap and Military singlet.
The late Okpanachi Johnson, the statement revealed, was serving in the Igbo-Eze North Police Division of the Command, until 30 July 2022, when he was said to have been missing.
According to the PPRO, “Others include one piece of red-black-green coloured clothing, identified as Biafra flag and another five pieces of masquerade-like attires of the said flag colours; one HP laptop with its bag; 22 different brands of mobile phones; six different brands of Mp3 players; one Canon camera; Six torchlights, three rolls of cello-tapes; one air pumping machine; one small yellow-coloured generating set; fifteen 15 fabric armless and five plastic chairs; a set of musical equipment, including band set, piano, guitar and speakers”.
Ndukwe disclosed that the hoodlums had allegedly stolen the items after invading a church in the area, where seven school bags; a camp bed and 21 pieces of tablespoons were also carted away.
He said that the breakthrough was recorded through the crime-fighting strategies devised by the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Abubakar Lawal.
“In a related development, according to the PPRO, “The Police operatives, on 8th August 2022, at about 9.15 am, recovered two AK-47 rifles with four all loaded with a total of 64 rounds of 7.62mm calibre of live ammunition (currently in the custody of 82 Division of the Nigerian Army Enugu), one locally-made cut-to-size gun, one Dane gun, one Lexus RX 330 and one RX 300 Jeeps, one Honda Pilot Jeep, 25 machetes, two axes, one dagger, four phones, a Military camouflage uniform, two Forest uniform trousers and fetish items suspected to be charms”.
He said, “The recovery is sequel to the operatives’ swift response to a distress call alleging that IPOB/ESN hoodlums invaded and set ablaze the house of a local vigilante at Oduma Community in Aninri Local Government Area on the said date”.
The CP, while commending the operatives for the successful execution of the operations without any casualty recorded by the Command, charged them to remain focused on actualizing the overall goal of ridding the state of unrepentant criminal elements.
“He further calls on residents of the state to remain law-abiding, vigilant and support the command with credible information and/or intelligence it requires to combat criminals and their activities. He also enjoins individuals and owners of medical facilities to quickly report anyone sighted with gunshot injuries to the Police.