Nigerian Army lost four soldiers during Saturday’s ambush of the commander of the Eastern Security Network, ESN, Ikonso.
Operatives of the Army, IGP Response Team and Department of Secret Service from Abuja led the raid on the ESN henchman.
A military source said four soldiers were killed during the ambush while other operatives of the police sustained several degrees of injuries.
Though the army said it killed Ikonso and six other members of his team, a community source in Awomama said four of the civilians killed were indigenes of the community who had no connection with the ESN commander.
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, had said the ESN commander was killed because he refused the request by governor Hope Uzodimma to command the state’s sector of the newly launched Ebubeagu outfit.
Emma Powerful, the media and publicity secretary of IPOB said “The killing of the heroic innocent Biafrans protecting our communities and towns from Fulani terrorist herdsmen masquerading as cattle herders in cold blood is very painful.
“The Supreme Court Administrator of Imo State Hope Uzodinma and all those who had a hand in this wickedness will pay dearly.
“Hope Uzodinma and his cowardly Nigerian security agencies that cannot confront Fulani terrorists but only flex their muscles when they see Biafra agitators. For murdering Ikonso, the ESN (Eastern Security Network) unit commander in cold blood, Uzodinma has stirred the hornet nest! He should get ready for a sting.
“Uzodinma decided to kill Ikonso because he refused his offer to head Ebubeagu ghost security outfit formed by South-East governors. Uzodinma has tried but without success to lure ESN operatives into Ebubeagu. He had made irresistible offers to them which were turned down, hence his resorting to the elimination of these patriotic heroes who vowed never to betray Biafra.
“Hope Uzodinma sent a lot of emissaries to beg Ikonso and other ESN officers to join Ebubeagu security outfit. So, because of their refusal to betray Biafra agitation and our Leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the hopeless governor mobilized joint security forces to attack them today.
“Contrary to claims by the cowardly security forces who flee from terrorists but kill innocent citizens, they were not able to penetrate into the camp of Eastern Security Network. They only ambushed Ikonso but we promise them hell for this cowardly act!
“Hope Uzodinma has murdered sleep, so he should be ready to stay awake! Fulani terrorists pretending as cattle sellers in Enugu destroyed Police van and attacked Government officials on lawful duty with AK-47 but no Army, police or DSS attacked them till now. But ESN operatives defending our communities against the terrorists are being hunted like games every day. The world has kept quiet over this atrocity until we begin our own madness.”
