There was confusion in Bayelsa State on Wednesday following reports that 10 suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra were arrested while holding a secret meeting.
While the state police command could not confirm the incident, sources said that a team of police detectives swooped on the IPOB members during their meeting in a private school located in the Okutukutu area of the state capital, Yenagoa, on Tuesday, following a tip-off.
They were said to be working on a plan to attack public property in some parts of the state even as a book titled, ‘The Chain of One Nigeria Broken (The story of our journey to freedom),’ was recovered from the IPOB suspects.
A resident of the community, one Clifford, reportedly said all the suspects were nabbed by men of the Operation Puff Adder.
He said, “We noticed some strange movement of plain clothed policemen and uniformed ones in the area.
“They proceeded to the school and we were shocked when they brought out people in handcuffs. We thought the school was empty.”
The police spokesman, Asinim Butswat, however, denied the reports when contacted by our correspondent, saying, “No such arrest has taken place.”
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Mike Okoli, has warned members of the public to resist any attempt to associate with the proscribed IPOB.
Okoli in a statement said, “Intelligence available to the command indicates that some misguided elements are planning to set-up IPOB cells in the state. Police operatives are on their trail and monitoring their activities.”
Punch
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