Army Confirms Two Soldiers Killed By ESN Fighters In Imo

The Nigerian Army has confirmed that two of its soldiers were killed and weapons carted away by operatives of Eastern Security Network (ESN), an armed wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

IPOB is a separatist organisation seeking for the restoration of Republic of Biafra from Nigeria following age-long accusation of marginalisation of the people of the South-East region of Nigeria since the Biafra – Nigeria civil war.

In a statement on Saturday, the Nigerian Army said that incident happened at Osina, Ideator North Local Government Area of Imo State, when its troops of 34 Artillery Brigade returning from routine patrols responded to a distress call of IPOB/ESN attack on Osina Community.

According to the statement, on arrival, the troops engaged the “terrorists” with overwhelming fire power, killing some of them, with no figure specific, while adding that the “dissidents withdrew in dissary”.

“Unfortunately, two security agents had been killed in action and one other missing in action and their weapons, an AK 47 Rifle and a Tear Gas Launcher were carted away by the terrorists.”

The statement noted that the corpses of the slain agents had been recovered and the troops have proceeded in pursuit of the fleeing “terrorists”.

The statement added, “Contact was again made with the criminal IPOB/ESN elements at Nkwachi Community and in the firefight that ensued, one of the dissidents was neutralised while others who could not withstand the troop’s fire power ran into the nearby forest. One (1) AK-47 rifle with a fully loaded magazine was recovered.

“The unrelenting troops continued to pursue the remnant of the criminals deep into Umalouma forest where a heavy firefight further broke out. The dissidents finally abandoned their weapons due to troops’ superior fire power and scampered into the thickly forested area with severe gunshot injuries. An additional five (4) Ak – 47 rifles, one (1) Fabrique Nationale Rifle and five (2) Magazines were recovered. A total of six (5) AK 47 Rifles and a Tear Gas Launcher were recovered.

“Further exploitation is ongoing as troops will continue to trail the injured terrorists and smoke them out of their hideouts and places of treatment. We urge all IPOB/ESN irredentists and other criminal elements hiding in the bushes to surrender to the nearest troops’ location or meet their waterloo as troops of the Brigade will continue to ensure that Imolites celebrate the Yuletide Season in peace without fear or intimidation.”

The army in the statement appealed to the people of Imo State to continue to support the military by giving them timely intelligence on the hideouts and movements of the “terrorists to enable us rid the state of all criminality”.

Since 2021 after the Supreme Court declared Senator Hope Uzodinma, who came fourth in the 2019 general election as the governor of the Imo State, sacking the people’s elected governor in a questionable circumstances, the state had been a killing field, with the military burning down several communities and markets in the guise of fighting separatists.