THE Abia State Police Command of Nigeria Police Force has declared that individuals operating under the auspices of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, with Biafran flags and any other materials will be arrested and prosecuted.

Anthony Ogbizi, commissioner of police, Abia state, said on Saturday as he took AIG Operations, Force Headquarters, Taiwo Lakanu, who arrived the state on Friday with about 500 Mobile Policemen deployed to the state, to access the level of damage on Ariaria Police Division.

Ogbizi disclosed that the police has arrested 37 suspected members of IPOB during the unrest in Abia State including seven persons allegedly amongst the arsonists that burnt and looted the Ariaria Police station.

Ogbizi stated that the suspects would be arraigned in court on Monday while investigation into the matter would continue, adding that efforts were ongoing to track others that were still at large.

Ogbizi further disclosed that Improvised Explosive Device, IED, Petroleum Bomb (Bottle containing fuel, pieces of broken glasses and other dangerous materials) were equally recovered from Nnamdi Kanu’s house by the army and has since handed such over to the police.

He added that the station officer, an assistant superintendent of Police, who sustained serious injuries after he was attacked by the arsonists, died early hours of today in an undisclosed hospital where he was receiving medical attention.

“As I’m talking to you, one of the injured police officer, an ASP is dead. The doctors tried their best to save him, but they couldn’t,” he said.

“The seven we arrested will be charged for murder, arson and conspiracy for breach of the law.

“And any individual, or group of individual operating under the disguise of IPOB with Biafran flags and any other materials will be arrested and prosecuted.

“IPOB has grown up to this level, and it must be stopped. And because it has been proscribed, any individual, that aid, council, finance, harbour all these hoodlums as IPOB will be prosecuted.

“Even those who instigate by their speech, action and conduct bring breach of peace will be prosecuted. This place is calm as IGP has deployed 500 mobile police men to put things in order here. As you can see, we are beefing up security.” – News Rangers

– Sept 18, 2017 @ 08:08 GMT /