Sources had confirmed that the exercise was part of the raid by men of the Nigerian army who have been on the search for ESN camps in Orlu LGA.
The Eastern security network, a group of vigilantes formed by the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB), had been a thorn in the flesh of the Nigerian federal government.
Although claims by the group have it that the ESN was formed to checkmate the activities of killer herdsmen and other criminalities in the Southeast, the Government, on the other hand, sees it as an illegal movement that would snowball to something disastrous especially in Orlu.
After the raid recently , about 33 pastors and some other elders have been arrested by the army.
According to Eyewitness reports, the arrest of the church leaders followed the raids that started in January in Orlu communities, especially Njaba, Orsu, and Oru East council areas.
It was, however, a thing of relief for the residents as peace returned to the area by early February, but in this surprising show of force, the military in conjunction with the Intelligence Response Team of the police, stormed Orlu last weekend.
More names of those arrested include the Presiding Priest of Our Lord’s Sabbath in Umunam Atta Community, Njaba LGA, Rev. Chigozie Nwaka as well as a number of other clerics and church elders in Ubokoro Atta, Okporo, Okwudor
As gathered by EKO HOT BLOG, the soldiers invaded some churches, including House of Prayer International Covenant Church Okporo Orlu where over 20 members of the church were arrested.
When contacted, the Army spokesperson of the 34 artillery Brigade, Obinze, Owerri, Babatunde Zubairu, confirmed the operation but stated clearly that the Orlu locals were not being harassed.
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