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Troops of the newly established 15 Brigade, Nigerian Army, operating under Joint Task Force South East, Operation Udo Ka, have dismantled three suspected camps belonging to the Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network (IPOB/ESN), neutralised three suspects and recovered arms, explosives and other logistics in Anambra State.
The Army disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
According to the statement, the intelligence-led operation was conducted in the early hours of Saturday following credible information on activities of suspected IPOB/ESN elements operating from camps at Osuakwa, along the boundary between Ihiala and Ogbaru Local Government Areas.
Troops of 15 Brigade, in conjunction with personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Agunechemba Vigilante Group, launched a coordinated dawn raid on the identified locations.
The joint force said it came under hostile fire but responded decisively, overwhelming the criminals after a fierce firefight.
“Three suspected IPOB/ESN members were neutralised, while all three camps were successfully overrun and destroyed to prevent their future use as operational bases,” the statement said.
During exploitation, troops recovered: 1 FN rifle with 10 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition; 1 pump-action shotgun with 5 cartridges; 15 sticks of dynamite; 4 motorcycles; 1 gas cylinder; 3 hybrid batteries; 2 car batteries; 3 handheld radio chargers; and other logistics believed to have supported the group’s activities.
Further exploitation led to the arrest of one suspected IPOB/ESN member identified as Mr. Chijioke, alongside one male and one female suspected accomplice. Six children were also found with them.
The Commander, 15 Brigade Nigerian Army commended the troops, DSS personnel and members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group for their “courage, discipline and outstanding inter-agency cooperation,” describing the operation as “another major setback for criminal and terrorist elements seeking to undermine peace and security in the South East.”
The Nigerian Army said the newly established 15 Brigade will continue “aggressive intelligence-led operations” with sister agencies and local stakeholders to “locate, disrupt and dismantle terrorist and criminal networks” and ensure the safety of residents across Anambra and the wider South East.
