Troops of the Nigerian Army have raided three suspected camps of the Indigenous People of Biafra and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, in Anambra State, killing three suspected members and arresting three others.
The operation, conducted in the early hours of Saturday, also led to the recovery of 15 sticks of dynamite, rifles, ammunition and other items, according to the Army.
The operation was carried out by troops of the newly established 15 Brigade, Nigerian Army, under the Joint Task Force South-East, Operation UDO KA, in collaboration with personnel of the Department of State Services and members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group.
The Army said the intelligence-led operation followed credible information on the activities of suspected IPOB/ESN members operating from camps at Osuakwa, a location along the boundary between Ihiala and Ogbaru Local Government Areas of Anambra State.
According to the military, the troops came under hostile fire from the suspected militants during the raid but responded by engaging the attackers.
The Army said three suspected IPOB/ESN members were killed during the confrontation, while the three camps were overrun and destroyed to prevent them from being used as operational bases.
Among the weapons recovered were an FN rifle loaded with 10 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, a pump-action shotgun with five cartridges and 15 sticks of dynamite.
The troops also recovered four motorcycles, a gas cylinder, three hybrid batteries, two car batteries and three handheld radio chargers from the camps.
The Army said further exploitation of the area led to the arrest of three suspects, including a man identified as Chijioke, as well as another male and a female suspected accomplice.
The three suspects, according to the military, were found in the company of six children.
The Commander of the 15 Brigade commended the troops, DSS personnel and members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group for what he described as courage, discipline and effective inter-agency cooperation.
He said the operation represented another setback for criminal elements allegedly attempting to undermine peace and security in the South-East.
The Army said the 15 Brigade would sustain intelligence-driven operations, working with other security agencies and local stakeholders to identify and dismantle criminal networks in the region.
“The Brigade remains resolute in its commitment to denying all criminal elements freedom of action and ensuring the safety and security of law-abiding residents across Anambra State and the wider South-East region,” the military said.
IPOB has consistently rejected the Nigerian government’s classification of its activities as terrorism. The authorities, however, have repeatedly accused IPOB and ESN members of attacks on security personnel, government facilities and other targets across the South-East.
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