Police Arrest Alleged ‘ESN Native Doctor’ With IED, Charms In Imo Shrine

Imo State Police Command has arrested one Benneth Okoli, an alleged native doctor of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the security arm of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Abutu Yaro, the commissioner of police in Imo, who disclosed this in a statement signed by Mike Abatam, the command’s spokesperson, said the suspect was arrest in his shrine at Akuma in Oru East LGA of Imo.

An improvised explosive device (IED), charms, and cannabis were recovered from the suspect who was arrested following an intelligence report, the police said.

“After a diligent forensic and technical intelligence gathering, the suspect, Benneth Okoli, 49, was arrested in his shrine at Akuma in Oru East LGA of Imo,” the statement reads.

“On searching the shrine, one locally made IED, charms and weed suspected to be cannabis were recovered.

“The suspect on interrogation, made useful statements and is currently assisting the police to arrest the rest of his gang, presently on the run.

“The arrest is coming a few days after bandits had an encounter with the police in the area.

“Sequel to the attack on the Omuma Police Station in Oru East by bandits suspected to be the remnants of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and ESN terror groups, the CP dispatched the command’s tactical teams led by ACP Benjamin Osuji.

“The team was directed to carry out discreet investigation and arrest the bandits involved in the attack of the police station.

The commissioner commended the officers for the arrest and asked them to sustain the fight against criminality. He also thanked the people of Imo for their support and solicited for an all society approach to sustaining the already improved security architecture in the state.

KanyiDaily had also reported how 67 IPOB members were arrested while going to a native doctor to fortify themselves against bullet penetration in Imo.