The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has announced that it has freed suspects that have no connection to the killing of soldiers in Abia State, News About Nigeria reports.
Major Gen. Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, disclosed this on Thursday.
He noted that following the killing of five soldiers at a checkpoint by terrorists of IPOB/ESN in Abia State, military troops arrested over 100 suspects in the search for perpetrators of the dastardly act, adding that those found innocent of the act have been released to go while those found culpable are under detention and assisting in the course of the investigation.
He stated that the intelligence-based operations by the troops led to the destruction of several IPOB/ESN terrorist camps across the region.
“Troops conducted several intelligence-based operations that led to the discovery and destruction of several IPOB/ESN terrorist camps across the region, such as at Igboro Forest in Arochukwu LGA of Abia State, among others.
“Several arrests were made from the raids, with those found to be culpable still in detention. Surely, there is intelligence value to the raids and arrests that were made.
“Those in detention are assisting troops to locate other camps, sleeper cells, and high-profile individuals involved in the activities of the terrorist group,” he stated.
He further noted that troops of Operation Udoka also neutralised 13 terrorists, arrested 25 violent extremists, and rescued 15 kidnapped hostages during encounters with criminal elements in the last week in the South East.
“Troops recovered one AK47 rifle, one fabricated rifle, 4 Dane guns, 2 pump action guns, 2 fabricated berretta pistols, one double barrel, one short Dane gun, 5 locally made pistols, one locally fabricated RPG tube, one fabricated Arty gun, 10 fabricated Arty bombs, 42 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 8 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm, 62 live cartridges and 21 cartridges (expended), one ECOME HH radio, one vehicle, and one motorcycle, amongst others.”
