Nigerian Army troops have killed eight suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in Anambra State, located in the southeast of the country.
Lieutenant Colonel Jonah Unuakhalu, spokesperson for Operation Udo Ka, confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that the soldiers also apprehended five other IPOB members. The eight individuals were killed during separate operations carried out by the troops across Anambra State.
According to Unuakhalu, the troops encountered the IPOB fighters at their camp in Ogunka, a community in the Orumba South Local Government Area. During the operation, military forces recovered two AK-47 rifles, one pump-action gun, four improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and an amp battery used to detonate the explosives.
In a previous operation on January 8, three additional IPOB fighters were killed in Orsumoghu, a community within Ihiala Local Government Area. Regrettably, the operation also led to the death of one soldier.
Major General Hassan Taiwo-Dada, Force Commander of Joint Task Force Operation Udo Ka, urged Nigerians to support the military by providing “timely, reliable, and credible information” to help combat insecurity in the southeast. As the General Officer Commanding the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, he emphasized that security is a shared responsibility and assured that Operation Udo Ka would continue its operations within the law and rules of engagement.
