Nigerian Army Dismantles Three IPOB/ESN Camps in Anambra, Neutralises Three Suspects
Troops of the newly established 15 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have successfully dismantled three suspected camps belonging to the Indigenous People of Biafra and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, during a coordinated operation carried out in Anambra State. The operation took place in the early hours of Saturday, August 15, 2026, and was conducted under the Joint Task Force South East, known as Operation Udo Ka, following credible intelligence on the activities of suspected IPOB/ESN elements operating from camps located at Osuakwa, along the boundary separating Ihiala and Ogbaru Local Government Areas of the state.
According to a statement issued by the Nigerian Army through its verified social media handle, troops acted swiftly on the intelligence they received, launching a carefully planned dawn raid in collaboration with personnel of the Department of State Services and members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group. During the operation, the joint security team came under hostile fire from suspected camp occupants but responded decisively, overwhelming the assailants following a fierce exchange of gunfire. Three suspected IPOB/ESN members were neutralised during the confrontation, while all three identified camps were successfully overrun and subsequently destroyed to prevent their continued use as operational bases for the group.
Following the raid, troops recovered a substantial cache of weapons, explosives and logistics materials from the dismantled camps. Items recovered included one FN rifle loaded with ten rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, a pump-action shotgun along with five cartridges, fifteen sticks of dynamite, and four motorcycles believed to have been used by camp occupants for movement and logistics. Additional items recovered included a gas cylinder, three hybrid batteries, two car batteries and three hand-held radio chargers, along with other materials suspected of supporting the group’s ongoing activities in the area.
Further exploitation of the operational area led to the arrest of a suspected IPOB/ESN member identified as Chijioke, along with a man and a woman believed to be his accomplices. The three individuals were reportedly discovered in the company of six children at the time of their arrest, raising additional concerns about the conditions under which the camps had been operating prior to the raid. Security officials have not yet disclosed further details regarding the identities or roles of the accomplices, nor the specific circumstances surrounding the presence of the children at the location.
The Commander of the 15 Brigade commended the troops involved in the operation, along with personnel from the Department of State Services and members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group, for what he described as their courage, discipline and outstanding inter-agency cooperation throughout the exercise. He characterized the successful raid as another significant setback for criminal and terrorist elements attempting to undermine peace and security across the South East region, emphasizing that the coordinated effort reflected the strength of collaboration between military and local security stakeholders in addressing ongoing security challenges.
The Nigerian Army further assured residents of Anambra State and the wider South East region that the newly established 15 Brigade would continue to sustain intelligence-led operations in partnership with other security agencies and local stakeholders. The military reaffirmed its commitment to denying criminal elements freedom of movement and operation within the region, stressing that similar operations would continue as part of a broader strategy aimed at restoring lasting peace and stability across communities affected by the activities of proscribed groups operating in the South East.
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