Troops of Operation Udoka in the South-East have arrested a key proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), figure described as a “founding father” and other top commanders.
The arrest, which took place across Imo and Abia states, marks a major success in ongoing efforts to curb insurgency and criminal activities in the region.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, announced the arrests on Thursday in Abuja during the bi-weekly briefing by the Defence Headquarters, which highlighted recent achievements by the military.
“In the South-East, the troops of Operation Udoka, Forward Operational Base (FOB), Orsu, in a sting operation, apprehended a terrorist leader belonging to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its Eastern Security Network (ESN) terrorist group known as Mr. Pius Iguh.
He is an IPOB founding father responsible for the Orsu general area in Imo State,” General Buba stated.
In a separate operation, troops from FOB Amaruku raided another IPOB stronghold, leading to the arrest of an IPOB commander identified as Emmanuel Onwugu in Mbano Local Government Area of Abia State.
The military described the raid as highly successful, with additional suspects detained in connection with the group’s activities.
In a related development, Major General Buba disclosed that security forces, in collaboration with the military, apprehended a notorious cult leader, Ifeanyi Rock, along with 10 of his commanders in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State.
The cult group had been linked to various criminal activities in the region.
The operations also yielded significant recoveries of weapons and other items, according to the military spokesperson.
Meanwhile, in a separate campaign, troops successfully rescued 76 kidnap victims and neutralised 140 terrorists during the past week.
Another 135 suspected criminals were arrested during the military’s extensive operations in different parts of the country.
“We will continue to do more of that,” General Buba assured, reinforcing the military’s commitment to sustaining the offensive against insurgents and criminal networks.
Turning to the fight against crude oil theft, Major General Buba revealed that 18 suspects involved in crude oil theft were apprehended in the Niger Delta region.
During the operations, the troops recovered over 1.1 million litres of stolen crude oil and more than 557,000 litres of illegally refined diesel, also known as AGO.
The troops destroyed several illegal refining sites as part of their crackdown on the illegal trade.
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