The Rivers State Police Command said it raided a suspected cell operated by the disbanded Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) at Oyigbo in Oyigbo local government area of the State and arrested 10 suspected members of the outlawed group.
The Command also said it raided the training camp and cells of an illegal security outfit, Civilian JTF, in Ahoada Town in Ahoada East local government area and Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of the State and arrested seven suspected members of the illegal security outfit.
The Commissioner of Police, Okon Effiong, who disclosed these to journalists in Port Harcourt, said four of those arrested during the raid on IPOB cell, were identified to be the mastermind of the burning down of Oyigbo Police Station during the #EndSARS protest in 2020.
Effiong said: “We got an intelligence that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have started reestablishing cells in Rivers State. We had to work on that intelligence and we discovered where they stay at Oyigbo; an estate at Oyigbo.
“So, the building they stay in the particular estate was raided. Let us not disclose the name of the estate so that the people there will not be threatened. Ten of them were arrested and interestingly, four of the arrested persons were identified as key players in the burning down of Oyigbo Police Station during the #EndSARS riot.
“One of them have been on the wanted list of Police right from February 2022. We are still working on them and we want to believe that in the next few days, wherever, because we are committed to ensuring peace, we will not like to find any situation where IPOB cells are established in the state. When we have such information, we always act on them.”
The Police Commissioner stated that the Command got intelligence report that a group of people were engaged in arm training in the State and had already traveled to the North-East part of the country to train as Civilian JTF.
The CP added: “Within the period, something happened and we need to be very very sensitive. Information was received that a group of persons were training in arm handling. We discovered that the people had gone for a so-called training in the North+East and have come down to Port Harcourt to recruit people. They said they are Civilian JTF.
“So, when their camp was searched eventually, about four locally-made AK-47 rifles were recovered with a number of ammunition. But the intriguing thing about it is that camouflage uniforms, many; that if anybody saw them, they will think they are police operatives because the uniforms are very close to Police camouflage from afar.
“In the course of investigation, we discovered that they had already opened up cells in Ahoada and Omoku. We have gone to Omoku, raided those cells and arrested the people and they are in detention right now. They are about seven of them.”