From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The Imo State Police Command said it has arrested one Simeon Onigbo, suspected to be involved in the manufacturing of Improvised Explosive Device (IED), used in bombing most of the police formations in the state.
A statement by the State Police Spokesperson, Michael Abattam noted that the squad, which arrested the suspect, was spurred by the modified strategies put in place by the new Commissioner of Police in the state, Mohammed Barde.
According to Abattam, the tactical team of the command acting on an intelligent report swooped on the hideout of the hoodlums suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Wednesday at Ubaka in Njaba Local Government Area of the state, where they were caught manufacturing bombs. Also, other items recovered from the hoodlums included: 58 eight pieces of cannon steel pipes, two chisels, one hammer, one and a half bag of potassium nitrate and 30 pounds weight of Sulphur. Others are: 40 pounds weight of dry sand, 10 pounds weight of red sand, 30 pounds weight of gun powder, half bag of charcoal, 30 electronic motorcycle batteries and seven lengths of eight millimeters iron rods.
Meanwhile, the Command’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit (EOD) has taken over the recovered bomb for technical analysis and subsequently for possible detonation, as investigations continue. The police spokesperson also disclosed that the suspect has made useful statements and mentioned members of his gangs outside the state who patronise him.