Nigerian Army troops operating under the Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, have raided locations suspected to be hideouts of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The operation, conducted on Saturday, August 22, 2026, involved troops working alongside the military’s Maritime Component, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and members of the Anambra Vigilante Group.
A statement on the operation said the security team launched an early-morning assault on suspected camps in Obene and Abator villages, located within the Ochuche and Umunankwo communities.
According to the military, the troops came under attack shortly after reaching the locations, prompting suspected IPOB/ESN members to abandon their positions and flee into the surrounding area.
The troops reportedly engaged the fleeing suspects and commenced a pursuit.
The Army said bloodstains were later discovered along the escape route, indicating that some of the suspects may have suffered gunshot wounds during the confrontation.
One suspected member was reportedly killed during the operation, while another fleeing suspect was said to have escaped while carrying the body of a colleague who had also been killed.
The military said the operation resulted in the suspected camps being dislodged, thereby preventing the group from continuing to use the locations as bases for its activities.
During a search of the abandoned positions, the troops recovered two pump-action firearms, two motorcycles and materials suspected to be intended for the production of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), among other items.
The Army described the recovery of the explosive-making materials as an important achievement, saying the seizure would limit the group’s capacity to produce explosive devices that could be deployed against security personnel, infrastructure and civilians.
Following the raid, troops established positions around the affected communities and began additional searches aimed at locating fleeing suspects and stopping them from regrouping.
The Nigerian Army said it would sustain its collaboration with other security agencies under Operation UDO KA in efforts to dismantle terrorist and criminal networks operating in the South-East.
It added that the operations were designed to deny the groups safe havens, weaken their operational capabilities and strengthen security across communities in the region.
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