– Heads of 10 girls used for charms
– Many police officers killed were Igbo
– “We weren’t paid; they said we were freedom fighters”
A 28-year-old Commander of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the armed wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has confessed to the killing of security personnel and the destruction of properties across the South East and South South regions of Nigeria.
The suspect, identified as Emeoyiri Uzorma Benjamin, also known as Onye Army, was apprehended by operatives of the Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT) led by DCP Abba Kyari. During interrogation, Benjamin revealed details of attacks carried out under the directives of IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, including assaults on security operatives and the burning of government and private properties in Imo State.
In an interview with Vanguard, Onye Army confessed to participating in the Owerri Correctional Center attack, which led to the release of inmates, as well as the arson on Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma’s residence. He described these acts as retaliation for the killing of Ikonso, whom he referred to as his top commander.
The most shocking revelation came when he admitted that 10 girls’ heads were used to prepare charms, allegedly to fortify ESN members against police bullets.
Onye Army narrated his journey into the group, stating that he initially pursued a career in the military but was rejected due to issues with his academic credentials. After various menial jobs and a stint as a security guard in Lagos, he returned to his village in 2017.
In 2019, a man named John from his hometown encouraged him to join IPOB. He began attending weekly meetings in Orlu, Imo State, at a building close to the Teaching Hospital.
By November 2020, when Mazi Nnamdi Kanu established the Eastern Security Network (ESN), Onye Army became an active member. He recalled that Kanu declared he did not want any security agents in the South East and that only ESN operatives should provide security in the region.
The ESN Commander claimed that after the death of Ikonso, Kanu ordered them to bury him with 2,000 human heads, but the group managed to capture only 30. He disclosed that the majority of the police officers he killed during his operations were Igbo, despite IPOB’s pro-Igbo stance.
According to him, members of ESN were not financially compensated. “We were told we are freedom fighters, not mercenaries,” he said.
Onye Army’s confessions have sparked a deeper investigation by security agencies as authorities work to dismantle armed networks linked to IPOB and bring those responsible for violence in the region to justice.
