Unuakhalu said the escapee was apprehended during a raid on the hideout of suspected members of IPOB and ESN in Ugbakwa village in the Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The Nigerian Army has said that troops of Sector One of the Joint Task Force South East, code-named “Operation UDO KA II” in a joint operation with the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested an escapee from Jos jailbreak during a raid in Enugu.
In another operation in Imo and Anambra states, troops reportedly shot and killed one suspected member of the Indigenous People of Biafra on a motorcycle and recovered vehicles abandoned in the camp of the Eastern Security Network, the militant wing of IPOB.
The Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday in Enugu on the operational breakthrough of the Joint Task Force Operation UDO KA II.
Unuakhalu said the escapee was apprehended during a raid on the hideout of suspected members of IPOB and ESN in Ugbakwa village in the Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.
“During the raid operations, troops apprehended one Mr Chimezie Chukwu alias Biggi, an escapee of Jos Prison Break known to be a drug peddler, gunrunner and also specialised in armed robbery.
“Items recovered from him included: six mobile phones, three mobile phone batteries, one Moniepoint POS and ATM card, two packs of substances suspected to be cannabis and the sum of N107,280 only.
“The suspect and recovered items are in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) for further investigation,” he said.
Similarly, troops of Sector 4 deployed at Forward Operational Base in Okigwe, Imo; while on checkpoint duties, spotted an identified IPOB/ESN member on a motorcycle.
According to the army spokesman, the identified IPOB/ESN member, when ordered by the troops to halt and alight from the motorcycle, took to his heels in order to escape arrest.
“All efforts to stop him proved abortive, forcing the troops to open fire and neutralise the suspect.
“Items recovered from him are two live rounds of 7.62mm Special, One ITEL Mobile phone, one small bag containing charms, the sum of N2,300 only and One Qlink motorcycle,” he said.
Additionally, the army spokesman said that troops of Sector 5 of Operation UDO KA II acting on credible intelligence also conducted a raid operation on suspected IPOB/ESN camps at Ogbunka in the Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra.
He said that on arrival, the camp had already been abandoned by the terrorist group.
He said that troops, however, recovered three abandoned Sport Utility Vehicles – two Toyota Highlanders and one Mercedes Benz ML 350. He said efforts were ongoing to identify the owners of the vehicles.
“Joint Task Force Operation UDO KA II, therefore, calls on the law-abiding and good citizens of the South-East region not to relent in providing timely, credible and reliable information that will assist in ending this menace in the region.
“Operation UDO KA II will continue combating crime and criminality in accordance with the extant rules and regulations guiding its operations,” he added.