The Nigerian Army has dismantled three suspected Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network (IPOB/ESN) camps in Anambra State, with three suspected members reportedly killed and a cache of firearms, explosives and other equipment recovered.
The operation was conducted in the early hours of Saturday, August 15, 2026, at Osuakwa, along the boundary between Ihiala and Ogbaru Local Government Areas.
Troops of the newly established 15 Brigade Nigerian Army, operating under Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, carried out the operation in collaboration with personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Agunechemba Vigilante Group.
The Army said the operation followed credible intelligence on the activities of suspected IPOB ESN members in the area.
According to the military, the joint team came under attack during the operation but responded, neutralising three suspects before overrunning and destroying the three camps to prevent their further use as operational bases.
Recovered items included an FN rifle with 10 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, a pump-action shotgun with five cartridges, 15 sticks of dynamite, four motorcycles, a gas cylinder, three hybrid batteries, two car batteries and three handheld radio chargers.
During further searches in the area, troops also arrested a suspected IPOB ESN member identified as Chijioke, alongside a man and a woman suspected to be his accomplices. Six children were reportedly found in their custody.
The Commander of the 15 Brigade commended the troops, DSS personnel and members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group for their courage and cooperation, describing the operation as a major setback to criminal and terrorist elements operating in the region.
The Army said it would sustain intelligence-led operations with other security agencies and local stakeholders to disrupt criminal networks and strengthen security across Anambra State and the wider South-East.
