Troops of the Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, have raided identified strongholds of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)/Eastern Security Network (ESN) elements in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, recovering weapons and materials used for making improvised explosive devices.
The operation, conducted on Saturday, August 22, 2026, involved the military’s Maritime Component, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Anambra Vigilante Group.
The security forces launched a coordinated dawn offensive on identified locations at Obene and Abator villages within the Ochuche and Umunankwo communities.
According to the military, the advancing troops came under fire from the IPOB/ESN elements, who subsequently abandoned their positions and fled into the surrounding terrain.
Troops returned fire and pursued the fleeing group. The military said blood stains were observed along the withdrawal route, suggesting that some of the fleeing elements sustained gunshot wounds during the encounter.
During the pursuit, troops reportedly neutralised one of the group’s members, while other fleeing members escaped with the corpse of another person the military said had been neutralised.
The operation subsequently led to the dislodgement of the group from the identified locations, preventing them from continuing to use the sites as operational bases.
A search of the abandoned strongholds resulted in the recovery of two pump-action guns, two motorcycles, materials for making improvised explosive devices and other items, according to the military.
Following the raid, troops consolidated their positions and expanded their search of the surrounding areas in an effort to track fleeing members of the group and prevent them from regrouping.
The operation forms part of the ongoing efforts by Operation UDO KA and other security agencies to disrupt the activities of armed groups and criminal networks operating in the South East.
The military said it would continue coordinated operations aimed at denying such groups safe havens, degrading their operational capabilities and improving security for communities and law-abiding residents across the region.
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