The leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), one Commander Ikonta, and six other members of the group were reported to have been killed during a face-off with the Nigerian troops in Imo State.
The seven IPOB members were said to have been killed during an early morning raid on their hideout at Awomama village, Oru East Local Government Area.
As gathered, the gunmen were killed on Saturday during a face-off that lasted for several minutes with three policemen and one army officer said to be on admission at an undisclosed medical facility after sustaining injuries.
A top security source explained that the slain militia members were responsible for the attack on the Imo State Police headquarters and the Nigerian Custodial facility on April 5, 2021.
They have also carried out series of calculated, violent attacks on security personnel and formations in the South-East and South-South parts of the country.
The source said, “As the security forces approached the base of the insurgents, they came under rapid fire from the group. In a bold response, the joint security forces fought back gallantly.
“The forces eventually neutralized the overall commander of the insurgents in the South-East popularly known as Commander Ikonso and six other armed fighters of the insurgent group”.
The force spokesman, Frank Mba, failed to respond to inquiries on the operation when contacted.
