Nnamdi Kanu: IPOB leader: Army arrests IPOB Commander, Awurum Eze

The Nigerian Army on Sunday says its troops have arrested one Awurum Eze which it described as the second in the hierarchy of Eastern Security Network, ESN, the militant arm of the outlawed Biafra seccesionist agitation group, the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB.

In a statement on Wednesday, Army spokesperson, Mohammed Yerima, said Eze is assistant to  Ikonso, the Commander of  ESN commander, who was killed some weeks ago in Imo State.

Yerima, however, said Awurum Eze,  was arrested by security operatives in Aba, Abia State.

According to the Army, Awurum Eze is one of the main sponsors of the numerous killings in Imo State and has been on the wanted list of security agents for more than three months.

Army claimed in the statement that arrested IPOB /ESN members had earlier named Anwurum Eze as their key sponsor, mastermind and Second in Command to late Ikonso.

Army said the suspects revealed that amongst all their leaders in Imo State, only Ikonso and Awurum have direct communication link with Nnamdi Kanu.

He can be seen in several photographs posing with the fugitive terrorist leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

The Army spokesperson further said 48 years old Awurum Eze, a native of Umoneke Nta, Isiala-Mbano LGA, Imo State, had on the 4th of May 2021 escaped when operatives of Intelligence Response Team (IRT) stormed his village house in Isiala Mbano where he was hiding.

He added that intensive manhunt was thereafter launched towards tracing and arresting him and he was eventually apprehended on Wednesday, 12 May 2022, in Aba after weeks of unrelenting follow-ups by operatives.

Investigation by the combined team of security operatives continues.