By ZAKAA LAZARUS
Troops of the newly established 15 Brigade Nigerian Army, operating under the Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, have dismantled three suspected IPOB/ESN camps and recovered arms, explosives and other logistics during a coordinated operation in Anambra State.
This was contained in a statement issued on Saturday.
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 located at Osuakwa, along the boundary between Ihiala and Ogbaru Local Government Areas.
Acting on the intelligence, troops of 15 Brigade, in conjunction with personnel of the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Agunechemba Vigilante Group, launched a dawn raid on the identified locations.
During the operation, the joint force came under hostile fire but responded decisively, overwhelming the criminals after a fierce firefight. Three suspected IPOB/ESN members were neutralised, while all three camps were overrun and destroyed to prevent future use as operational bases.
Items recovered include one FN rifle with 10 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, one pump-action shotgun with five cartridges, 15 sticks of dynamite, four motorcycles, one gas cylinder, three hybrid batteries, two car batteries, three handheld radio chargers, and other items believed to have supported the group’s activities.
Further exploitation of the area led to the arrest of one suspected IPOB/ESN member identified as Mr. Chijioke, alongside one male and one female suspected accomplice, who were found with 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, describing the operation as a major setback for criminal and terrorist elements seeking to undermine peace in the South East.
The Nigerian Army reassured the public that the 15 Brigade will sustain aggressive intelligence-led operations in collaboration with sister security agencies and local stakeholders to locate, disrupt and dismantle terrorist and criminal networks across Anambra State and the wider South East region.
