Benjamin Emeoyiri, a commander of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) — the militia of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) — has revealed his role in the attacks allegedly carried out by the group in Imo state.
The 28-year-old was said to have been arrested by operatives
of the inspector-general of police intelligence response team deployed in Imo.
According to the Punch, Emeoyiri said he was trained by the ESN
for two weeks and that he participated in the attacks on Owerri Correctional
Centre, Imo police command headquarters, Orlu police station and the country
home of Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo state.
“I am from Uzombe town in Uguta, Imo State. I was in the village in 2019 when one John approached me. He knew I had been looking for a military job without success so he advised me to join IPOB. I was attending IPOB meetings in Orlu every Sunday. I attended the meeting until November 2020 when Mazi Nnamdi Kanu formed the ESN,” he said.
“I volunteered to
join the ESN and I was trained with many others from different parts of the
country in a camp close to the Niger Bridge. Before I went to the camp, I was
living in a church in Orlu owned by Nwachukwu. While at the camp, we were given
military training and our phones were seized from us.
“After our training, we were given boots and uniforms and
asked to go back to our various state commanders. My state commander was the
late Ikonso. We were not given any money. When I got back to Imo State, I
reported back to the church which served as one of our camps at that time.
Then, we got an order that there shouldn’t be any police or military checkpoints
in the South-East. All the ESN state commanders asked their fighters to comply
with the order. I also obeyed the order because I have taken an oath.”
“Ikonso, one Engineer Mike and Temple organised the attack
on the Owerri Prison and Imo State Police Command headquarters. We stole 50
police rifles. We were over 100 fighters who went for the operation but on our
way back, some soldiers attacked us and many of our fighters were killed.
“We carried out a few
other attacks on security formations in Imo and Anambra states before Ikonso
was killed in his residence. After his death, we burnt the governor’s house and
killed a security man.”
Emeoyiri said they killed 30 persons to avenge Ikonso’s
killing, adding that they also killed 10 young girls and used their heads to
prepare charms for fortification.
“We went in 10 vehicles. We tied white and red clothes on
our bodies for protection against bullets. We prepared the charms with the
heads of 10 young girls,” he said.
“Temple and Mike came up with the suggestion to use the
girls for the charms and we abducted them in Imo State. Unfortunately, before
we got to the Orlu Police Station, a police armoured vehicle attacked us and
killed 12 of our fighters and injured four others.”
There have been several attacks on police stations, prisons
and the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the
south-east.
IPOB and ESN have been blamed for the attacks but the groups
have denied involvement.
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