Troops dismantle three IPOB/ESN camps, neutralise three in Anambra

By Kingsley Omonobi

Troops of the newly established 15 Brigade, Nigerian Army, operating under the Joint Task Force South-East, Operation Udoka, have dismantled three camps allegedly operated by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network (IPOB/ESN) in Anambra State.

The operation also led to the recovery of arms, explosives, motorcycles and other items, while three suspected IPOB/ESN members were reportedly neutralised.

According to a statement by the Nigerian Army, the intelligence-led operation was conducted in the early hours of Saturday, August 15, 2026, following credible information on the activities of suspected IPOB/ESN elements operating from camps at Osuakwa, along the boundary between Ihiala and Ogbaru Local Government Areas of the state.

Acting on the intelligence, troops of the 15 Brigade, in conjunction with personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) and members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group, conducted a dawn raid on the identified locations.

The Army said the joint force came under hostile fire from the suspects but responded, resulting in a fierce gun battle during which three suspected IPOB/ESN members were neutralised.

The three camps were subsequently overrun and destroyed to prevent their further use as operational bases.

Items recovered during the operation included one FN rifle with 10 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, one pump-action shotgun with five cartridges, 15 sticks of dynamite and four motorcycles.

Other recovered items were a gas cylinder, three hybrid batteries, two car batteries and three hand-held radio chargers, among other items.

The Army said further exploitation of the area led to the arrest of a suspected IPOB/ESN member identified as Chijioke, as well as a male and female suspected accomplices who were found in the company of six children.

The Commander, 15 Brigade, Nigerian Army, commended the troops, DSS personnel and members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group for their courage, discipline and inter-agency cooperation.

He described the operation as another setback for criminal and terrorist elements allegedly seeking to undermine peace and security in the South-East.

The Nigerian Army assured residents that the newly established 15 Brigade would sustain intelligence-led operations in collaboration with other security agencies and local stakeholders to locate, disrupt and dismantle criminal networks in the region.

The Brigade also reaffirmed its commitment to denying criminal elements freedom of action and ensuring the safety and security of law-abiding residents across Anambra State and the wider South-East.

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