By Eshioromeh Sebastian
A combined team of military and intelligence operatives has dealt a significant blow to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), after uncovering a concealed arms cache in the Gariki area of Enugu South Local Government Area.
The operation, conducted on June 9, 2026, by troops of the 82 Division Garrison serving under Sector 1, Operation UDO KA, in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), Enugu State Command, is part of the ongoing Operation EASTERN SANITY II.
The initiative aims to consolidate peace and dismantle criminal networks destabilising Nigeria’s South East region.
According to a statement released on June 10 by Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 82 Division, the breakthrough was facilitated by intelligence extracted from previously arrested IPOB/ESN suspects.
“Acting on credible intelligence derived from previously arrested suspects… security forces conducted a precision follow-up operation,” the statement read.
The recovery site was a clandestine hideout ingeniously disguised as a piggery, constructed from zinc sheeting. A thorough search of the premises yielded a substantial arsenal, including:
· General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs)
· An RPG-7 launcher tube
· Multiple AK-47 rifles
· Hand grenades
· A tear gas gun with cartridges
· AK-47 magazines
· 270 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition
· 478 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition
Authorities have confirmed that all recovered weapons and arrested suspects have been transferred to the DSS Enugu State Command for further investigation and subsequent legal prosecution.
The operation underscores the effectiveness of interagency collaboration in the region, with Operation UDO KA reaffirming its commitment to sustaining offensive actions against “criminal and terrorist networks that undermine peace.”
The military has reiterated its dedication to protecting citizens and preserving national sovereignty, while urging the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security forces to aid the collective effort for lasting peace in the South East.
Discussion about this post