The second-in-command to Ikonso, the neutralised commander of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)/ Eastern Security Network (ESN) has been arrested.
Awurum Eze was nabbed by security operatives in Aba, the commercial centre of Abia State in the south-east region of the country.
The Director of Public Relations at the Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima, confirmed the arrest of the suspect in a statement on Wednesday.
On Tuesday last week, the IPOB member was said to have escaped when operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) stormed his village house in Isiala Mbano where he was reportedly hiding.
“Intensive manhunt was, thereafter, launched towards tracing and arresting him,” said the army spokesman.
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He added, “He (Eze) was eventually apprehended on Wednesday, 12 May 2022, in Aba after weeks of unrelenting follow-ups by operatives.”
According to Yerima, 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.
Many of the arrested IPOB members were said to have mentioned him as their key sponsor, mastermind, and second-in-command to late Ikonso, the army spokesman noted in the statement.