Troops of the newly established 15 Brigade Nigerian Army have neutralised three suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network (IPOB/ESN) and destroyed three of the group’s camps during a coordinated operation in Anambra State.
The troops, operating under the Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, carried out the intelligence-led operation in the early hours of Saturday, August 15, 2026, at Osuakwa, along the boundary between Ihiala and Ogbaru Local Government Areas of the state.
Acting on credible intelligence, troops of 15 Brigade, in collaboration with personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Agunechemba Vigilante Group, launched a dawn raid on the identified camps.
The suspected terrorists opened fire on the joint force during the operation, but the troops responded decisively, overpowering the attackers and neutralising three of the suspected IPOB/ESN members.
The three camps were subsequently overrun and destroyed to prevent them from being used as operational bases by the group.
The troops also 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, three hybrid batteries, two car batteries and three handheld radio chargers.
Further exploitation of the area resulted in the arrest of a suspected IPOB/ESN member identified as Chijioke, alongside a male and female suspected accomplices. The suspects 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 during the operation.
The Brigade said the successful operation constituted another setback for criminal and terrorist elements seeking to undermine peace and security in the South East.
It assured residents that the newly established 15 Brigade would continue to conduct intelligence-led operations in collaboration with sister security agencies and relevant local stakeholders to locate, disrupt and dismantle criminal and terrorist networks across Anambra State and the wider South East.
The Brigade further reaffirmed its commitment to denying criminal elements freedom of action and ensuring the safety and security of law-abiding residents within its area of responsibility.
