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The police have announced the arrest of 59 suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Abia state.
The police have also confirmed the death of an officer after an attack by members of the now outlawed group.
The state police commissioner, Anthony Ogbizi, who disclosed these, while parading seven of the suspected members of IPOB at Ariaria police station in Aba, also said the suspected members of IPOB, recently arrested, would be prosecuted for murder, arson and other related crimes.
He said with the proscription of the group by governors in the south-east and its declaration as a terrorist group by the Nigeria defence headquarters, anybody found with Biafra materials would be arrested and prosecuted.
He said the suspects would be prosecuted under the anti-terrorism act to ensure they were properly dealt with.
While restating what the army had earlier said, Ogbizi said IPOB had shown itself to be a “terrorist group” which must be dealt with as such.
He said, between September 10 and September 14, the Ariaria police station was attacked by suspected members of IPOB who destroyed everything at the station.
He said they came with petrol bombs which they used to gain entrance, destroy property and took three pump-action guns.
“Even some policemen were seriously injured. In fact as I am talking to you, one of the injured police officer is dead. Doctors tried in vain to save his life,” he said.
“Now we have lost a soul and you know what it takes to train a police officer. You know the vacuum that creates. It takes a minimum of one year to train a police officer.”
Ogbizi said they also destroyed property of lawful citizens too, adding that their demonstration was not peaceful.
He also alleged that the group attacked a nearby bank to get money to acquire more weapons.
The police boss said about 30 IPOB members were arrested when they attacked soldiers at Isiala Ngwa and about 29 were arrested in Umuahia.
He said suspected IPOB members also attacked military officers and the residences of the commissioner of police and AIG zone 9 in Umuahia.
