3 killed, weapons recovered as Nigerian troops raid three suspected IPOB/ESN camps in Anambra
Troops of the newly established 15 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have dismantled three suspected camps linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in Anambra State.
The operation, carried out in the early hours of Saturday, August 15, resulted in the deaths of three suspected members, while three others were arrested. The troops also recovered firearms, explosives, motorcycles and other equipment.
The Nigerian Army disclosed this in a statement, saying the operation was conducted by troops of the 15 Brigade under the Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Agunechemba Vigilante Group.
According to the Army, the operation followed intelligence reports concerning suspected IPOB/ESN members operating from camps in Osuakwa, along the boundary between Ihiala and Ogbaru Local Government Areas.
The Army said security personnel launched a coordinated dawn raid on the identified locations after acting on the intelligence.
Three camps destroyed
The troops reportedly encountered hostile fire from the suspected militants during the operation but eventually overran all three camps.
The Army said three suspected IPOB/ESN members were killed during the encounter, while the camps were subsequently destroyed to prevent them from being used again as operational bases.
Among the items recovered were:
An FN rifle loaded with 10 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition
A pump-action shotgun with five cartridges
15 sticks of dynamite
Four motorcycles
A gas cylinder
Three hybrid batteries
Two car batteries
Three handheld radio chargers
Further searches in the area also led to the arrest of three suspected members and accomplices.
The Army identified one of the suspects as Chijioke, while the other two were described as a male and a female. The three suspects were reportedly found in the company of six children.
Army vows to sustain operations
The Commander of the 15 Brigade commended the troops and personnel from the collaborating security and vigilante groups for their courage, discipline and cooperation during the operation.
He described the operation as another setback for criminal elements allegedly seeking to undermine peace and security in the South-East.
The Army said the newly established brigade would continue to carry out intelligence-led operations in collaboration with other security agencies and local stakeholders to identify and dismantle criminal networks across Anambra State and the wider South-East.
The Brigade also reaffirmed its commitment to preventing criminal groups from operating freely and protecting law-abiding residents across the region.
The operation comes amid continuing security concerns in parts of the South-East, where authorities have repeatedly accused IPOB/ESN-linked elements of attacks against security personnel, government facilities and other targets.
IPOB, however, has consistently rejected the Nigerian government’s classification of the group’s activities as terrorism and has denied responsibility for several attacks attributed to it or the ESN.
