Troops of the newly established 15 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, operating under the Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, have dismantled three suspected Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network (IPOB/ESN) camps and recovered arms, explosives and other logistics in Anambra State.
The operation, conducted in the early hours of Saturday, August 15, 2026, followed credible intelligence on the activities of suspected IPOB/ESN elements operating from camps at Osuakwa, along the boundary between Ihiala and Ogbaru Local Government Areas.
Acting on the intelligence, troops of 15 Brigade, in collaboration with personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Agunechemba Vigilante Group, launched a coordinated dawn raid on the identified locations.
The joint force came under hostile fire from the suspected terrorists but responded decisively, overpowering the attackers after a fierce exchange of gunfire. Three suspected IPOB/ESN members were neutralised, while the three camps were overrun and destroyed to prevent their further use as operational bases.
The troops recovered one FN rifle with 10 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, one pump-action shotgun with five cartridges, 15 sticks of dynamite, four motorcycles, one gas cylinder and three hybrid batteries.
Other items recovered included two car batteries and three handheld radio chargers, among other materials believed to have supported the group’s activities.
Further exploitation of the area resulted in the arrest of a suspected IPOB/ESN member identified as Chijioke, as well as a male and female suspected accomplices. The three were reportedly found in the company of six children.
The Commander, 15 Brigade Nigerian Army, commended the troops, DSS personnel and members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group for their courage, discipline and effective inter-agency cooperation.
He described the operation as another major setback for criminal and terrorist elements seeking to undermine peace and security in the South-East.
The Nigerian Army said the newly established 15 Brigade would sustain intelligence-led operations in collaboration with sister security agencies and relevant local stakeholders to locate, disrupt and dismantle criminal and terrorist networks.
The Brigade also reaffirmed its commitment to denying criminal elements freedom of action and protecting law-abiding residents across Anambra State and the wider South-East region.
