Nigerian Army Arrests 27 IPOB Members, Recover AK-47 Rifle

No fewer than 27 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) led by Nnamdi Kanu, has been arrested by the Nigerian Army.

The Nigerian Army said that its troops on Operation Mesa, arrested the 27 IPOB members on Thursday and recovered an AK-47 rifle from one of them, Oliver Onyebunachi, in Imo State.

The Army said the 27 IPOB members, who were 23 men and four women, were apprehended by troops of 144 Battalion, 82 Division, on October 1.

ORIENTAL TIMES understands that this was made known in a statement issued by the army Operations Media Coordinator, Col. Aminu Iliyasu.

Iliyasu said the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, had directed that all army formations and unit commanders sustained their operational activities nationwide.

The statement reads in part, “One of the suspects was shot in his right leg as he tried to shoot at own troops. Normalcy has since been restored in that area as troops continued to maintain surveillance in the general area.

“The Chief of Army Staff hereby solicits the support of our citizens in availing the army units and formations nationwide with timely information that will assist them in ridding the communities of criminal elements.”