Troops of the Nigerian Army achieved another success in their intensified operations against violent non-state actors across the country.
According to a highly reliable Army source on Sunday, three terrorists were killed while a notorious IPOB/ESN commander, Ifeanyi Okorienta, also known as Gentle de Yahoo, was arrested.
According to The Nation, an investigative journalist Babajide Otitoju gave more details on how IPOB/ESN commander, Gentle de Yahoo, was captured.
While speaking, he explained that the troops approached the hideout in a very discreet manner to avoid raising suspicion. He said the soldiers trekked for nearly four hours through rough terrain to achieve an element of surprise before reaching the target location in the early hours of the morning.
According to him, when the troops arrived, they quietly surrounded the compound where Gentle de Yahoo and his fighters were hiding. However, the terrorists, who had taken positions in the ceiling or rooftop, opened fire, which forced the soldiers to fire back.
Otitoju stated that when the troops realised those hiding in the ceiling were unwilling to come down, they decided to set the building on fire. Once the flames spread, two women and three men jumped out in an attempt to escape, but the soldiers shot at them.
He added that three others still remained in the ceiling. Among them was Gentle’s deputy, who eventually jumped down and tried to scale the wall, but was gunned down by the soldiers. He noted that two women and two men were also killed in the operation.