Dare Ajayi/
The Nigerian military has claimed that airstrikes carried out by its fighter jets have killed an undisclosed number of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) militias in Akwa Ibom State.
A statement by the spokesman for the Nigerian Army, Mohammed Yerima, yesterday, says the joint military campaigns on Tuesday had killed ‘hoodlums’ who “exploited various avenues to acquire weapons to perpetrate their heinous crimes”.
“The general security situation in Akwa Ibom state has been very peaceful until recently when the security situation around Essien Udim Local Government Area of the State became tense, occasioned by activities of some hoodlums and criminal elements,” Yerima said in the statement.
“In the past few weeks, the group has attacked various security agencies which resulted in the loss of lives and carting away of weapons. The last incident led to the killing of some Policemen including a CSP.”
He, however, did not mention the number of persons killed in the operation.
“Normalcy has been restored in the area while the police personnel have since assumed full control and carrying out normal duties,” he added.
Before the military operations, residents were asked to leave the vicinity for the military to map out the criminals’ enclave, Yerima said.
The aerial operations followed a spike in coordinated attacks on police and military formations in Essien Udim Local Government Area of the state, suspected to be by members of the outlawed separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
About The Author
