Troops of the Joint Task Force South-East, Operation UDO KA, have raided suspected camps linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra and its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network, in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The operation, conducted on Saturday, involved troops working with the Maritime Component, the Department of State Services and the Anambra Vigilante Group.
The Nigerian Army said the joint team launched a dawn operation at suspected hideouts in Obene and Abator villages, within the Ochuche and Umunankwo communities.
According to the Army, the suspected militants opened fire after noticing the advancing troops but later abandoned their positions and fled into the surrounding area.
“Troops responded with superior firepower and immediately pursued the fleeing elements,” the Army said in a statement shared on its X account.
The military added that blood stains were discovered along the escape route, suggesting that some of the fleeing suspects may have been injured during the encounter.
During the operation, the Army said one suspected member of the group was neutralised, while other members reportedly escaped with the body of another person who was also killed.
A search of the abandoned camps subsequently led to the recovery of two pump-action firearms, two motorcycles and materials allegedly intended for the production of improvised explosive devices.
The Army described the recovery of the explosive-making materials as a major operational achievement, saying the seizure would limit the group’s ability to produce explosives for attacks on security personnel, infrastructure and civilians.
The troops have since maintained their presence in the area and expanded their search to surrounding communities in an effort to locate fleeing suspects and prevent the group from re-establishing its camps.
The Army said the operation was part of its broader effort to deny criminal and militant groups safe havens and reduce their capacity to carry out attacks in the South-East.
It said the operations were also aimed at “creating a safer environment for law-abiding citizens and communities across the region.”
The latest raid comes shortly after Operation UDO KA troops reportedly destroyed three other suspected IPOB/ESN camps in Anambra State, where firearms, dynamite and other materials were recovered.
