Troops from Operation UDO KA II in the Southeast region successfully eliminated three terrorists during a clearance operation at the terrorists’ hideout in the Orsumoghu Forest, located in the Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra, last Wednesday. The acting deputy director of Army Public Relations, Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, confirmed this on Saturday in Enugu.
The operation specifically targeted suspected hideouts of the banned groups Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its Eastern Security Network (ESN). The terrorists attempted to hinder the troops’ progress by deploying Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), but the troops remained undeterred. They managed to dislodge the group, neutralizing two terrorists, while others fled with gunshot wounds.
Various items were recovered from the terrorists’ camps, including military gear, mobile phones, binoculars, and handmade explosive devices (Ogbunigwe launchers). In a separate incident, troops arrested a suspected gunrunner, Francis Nwekire, 63, during a search-and-rescue mission in Effium, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi. Nwekire was found with 48 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition.
Additionally, a suspected member of the Effium Militia in Ebonyi was apprehended, leading troops to their hideout where an AK 47 rifle, ammunition, and a magazine were recovered. In a separate operation, troops from Naval Base, Oguta, launched “Operation IRON TETE” to root out IPOB/ESN elements from Agwa community in Imo. During the operation, a known local gun fabricator called “Packing Store” was killed, and weapons with IPOB markings were seized, including a pump-action rifle and a locally-made pistol.
Mr. Unuakhalu urged law-abiding citizens in the Southeast to provide timely and credible information to aid in combating terrorism. Operation UDO KA II is committed to upholding security in the region within the bounds of applicable laws and regulations.