Michael Abattam, a spokesman for the Imo police, said this on Wednesday, when the suspect was brought to the headquarters of the command in Owerri.
Mr. Abattam said that Mr. Nwagwu, who is known as "Onye Army," admitted to joining the Nigerian Army in 2013, leaving in 2021, and then joining the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the armed wing of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
He also said that Mr. Nwagwu admitted that he was in charge of the group that attacked the INEC offices in the Ihitte-Uboma and Isiala Mbano council areas, as well as the state headquarters in Owerri.
He said that Mr. Nwagwu was picked up on December 25 at his country home in Nguru, in the Aboh Mbaise council area of the state.
He also said that the suspect admitted to using black magic to keep bullets from going through his body. When he was arrested, several things were found in his home.
Mr. Abattam made a list of the items, which included five pump-action guns, four locally-made pistols, two cut-to-size double-barrelled guns, 50 live cartridges, locally-made hand grenades, and ESN regalia.
"He worked his way up in the ESN to become commander, and he admitted to training more than 100 people for the IPOB," a police spokesperson said.
He also said that he was part of the group that burned down police stations and INEC offices and killed several people.
"He admitted that he recently kidnapped some foreign engineers along the Umunna/Okigwe road, killed a native doctor in Nguru, which is in the Aboh Mbaise council area of Imo, and killed a police inspector and a sergeant at the Aboh Mbaise police station.”
"He admitted that he was in charge of setting fire to several police stations, killing a truck driver on Mbaise Road, attacking the Owerri Correctional Center, and attacking the Imo Police Headquarters," the man said.
Mr. Abattam also said that Mr. Nwagwu, who admitted to killing Mr. Gulak, said that his bosses, some of whom were traditional rulers, had left him and said he was wanted.
Mr. Nwagwu said he prayed to meet security agents because he thought they would spare his life and let him defend himself in court.
"My gang member shot Gulak, but the bullet didn't go all the way through his body. So I got out of our car, took off his rings, and shot him before the bullet finally went through. The suspect said, "He fell to the ground and died."
On May 30, 2021, Mr. Gulak was killed on his way to Sam Mbakwe Airport to catch a flight to Abuja.
