According to the CP, the arrests were made when officers raided their hideouts based on credible intelligence.
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested 10 alleged members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and seven fake members of the civilian Joint Task Force in Rivers State.
This was made known by the state Commissioner of Police, Okon Effiong, while briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt on Friday.
According to the CP, the arrests were made when officers raided their hideouts based on credible intelligence.
He claimed that the suspected IPOB members were apprehended in Oyigbo, on the outskirts of Port Harcourt, and that the arms bearing fake civilian JTF members were apprehended in Omoku and Ahoada, both in Rivers State.
He said, “On the December 23, 2022, we received information that some IPOB members had started relocating to Rivers State.
“We had to work on that intelligence and we discovered where they stayed in an estate in Oyigbo. The building they stayed in the estate was raided and ten of them were arrested.
“Interestingly, four of them arrested were identified as the key players in the burning down of the Oyigbo Police Station during the #EndSARS riot.
“And one of them has been on the wanted list of the police since February this year.”
Continuing he said, “We are still working on them and as we receive information we shall act on it immediately.”
CP Effiong revealed that the phony civilian JTF had gone to the North-East for weapons training before coming to Rivers to recruit members when they were apprehended.
He said, “We just have to be very careful and sensitive. Information was received that a group of persons were training in arms handling.
“And we discovered that the people had gone for the so-called training in the North-East and had come down to Port Harcourt to recruit people. And they said they were civilian JTF.
“When their camp was searched eventually about four locally made AK 47 rifles were recovered with some ammunition.
“The intriguing thing is that we recovered many camouflage uniforms. If anybody saw them they would think they are policemen. In the course of our investigation, we discovered that they had already opened up cells in Ahoada and Omoku.
“We have gone to Omoku, we have raided those cells and we have arrested seven of them.”
While assuring that the command would keep the state safe for criminal elements, Effiong asked for the public's help in providing relevant information that would aid in the arrest of suspects.