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

Troops of the newly established 15 Brigade, Nigerian Army, operating under the Joint Task Force South-East, Operation Udoka, have successfully dismantled three camps believed to be used by the Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network (IPOB/ESN) in Anambra State. This significant operation also led to the recovery of various weapons and equipment, alongside the neutralization of three suspected members of the group.

The intelligence-led operation, conducted in the early hours of Saturday, August 15, 2026, targeted camps located at Osuakwa, along the border between Ihiala and Ogbaru Local Government Areas. Acting on credible information, the troops, in collaboration with personnel from the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Agunechemba Vigilante Group, executed a dawn raid on the identified locations.

During the operation, the joint forces encountered hostile fire from the suspects, leading to a fierce gun battle. The Nigerian Army reported that three suspected IPOB/ESN members were killed in the exchange. Following the confrontation, the three camps were overrun and destroyed to prevent their future use as operational bases.

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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.

Recovered during the raid were an FN rifle with ammunition, a pump-action shotgun with cartridges, 15 sticks of dynamite, and four motorcycles. Additional items included a gas cylinder, hybrid batteries, car batteries, and hand-held radio chargers. The Army also reported the arrest of a suspected IPOB/ESN member identified as Chijioke, along with a male and female suspected accomplices found with six children.

The Commander of the 15 Brigade commended the troops, DSS, and vigilante group for their bravery and inter-agency cooperation. He characterized the operation as a setback for criminal elements aiming to disrupt peace in the South-East. The Nigerian Army pledged to continue intelligence-led operations in collaboration with security agencies and local stakeholders to dismantle criminal networks and ensure the safety of residents in Anambra State and the wider South-East region.

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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.