Massive blow to IPOB/ESN: Troops seize weapons, capture suspects
Nigerian troops
Published By: Kazeem Ugbodaga
By Stanley Nwanosike
Troops of the Joint Task Force South-East, “Operation UDO KA,” have conducted successful clearance operations against camps operated by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN), leading to the arrest of two suspected terrorists.
The spokesman of the task force, Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Enugu.
Unuakhalu revealed that on Dec. 5, 2024, troops dismantled an IPOB/ESN camp located at Uhuala-Aku in Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State.
“Acting on credible intelligence, troops encountered the irredentists at the camp. However, faced with superior firepower, the militants fled into the surrounding forest, abandoning their base,” the statement said.
Items recovered during the operation included: one G3 rifle, two pump-action rifles, three Dane guns, and a locally-fabricated pistol; an MG belt, two AK-47 rifle magazines, 12 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, and five rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition and a sack containing a human skull, a Toyota Hilux vehicle, six radio chargers, 20 car keys, and a Boafeng radio
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The troops also destroyed 26 makeshift shelters within the camp.
In another operation, Sector 2 troops arrested two suspects linked to terror activities in the Okposi community of Ebonyi State. Recovered items included two locally-fabricated pistols, nine live cartridges, and a motorcycle.
Additionally, troops from Sector 1, in collaboration with the Department of State Services, raided an IPOB/ESN camp at Agu Orba Ekwegbe in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The raid yielded significant seizures, including: Two General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), one single-barrel gun, and 12 rifles under construction; two single-revolver pistols, 10 pistols under construction, two pistol magazines, and 335 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and additional items such as 21 military desert boots, eight military raincoats, three IPOB/ESN flags, a first aid box, and food supplies
The camp was subsequently destroyed.
Maj.-Gen. Hassan Dada, Force Commander of the task force, urged all citizens in the South-East to embrace dialogue as a means of achieving peace and stability. (NAN)
