A successful special clearance operation was carried out by the Nigerian Army, alongside personnel from the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, spanning the areas of Udda, Ihiteukwa, and Orsumoghu along the borders of Orsu and Ihiala LGAs in Imo and Anambra states.
An Army statement reported that during the operation, the troops encountered members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) who had been utilizing the region as a hideout.
The insurgents resorted to guerrilla tactics upon sighting the troops, using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and setting booby traps along the roads. However, the troops effectively countered the attacks with superior firepower, ultimately neutralizing a prominent terrorist camp Commander known as Tochukwu, alias Ojoto, along with two others.
As a result of the operation, firearms, communication devices, narcotics, and personal belongings of the terrorists were recovered, which included two undetonated IEDs, 6 detonated IEDs, and bomb-making materials.
The Army emphasized that this operation has significantly disrupted the terrorists’ operations in the region, with the IEDs and bomb-making materials being safely disposed of.
In a separate operation in Cross River State, troops engaged in a fierce gun battle with a suspected group of kidnappers in the remote community of Akparanbong in Ikom Local Government Area.
While on routine patrol, the troops raided the kidnappers’ hideout, prompting a confrontation that caused the kidnappers to hastily retreat, abandoning two AK-47 rifles, six magazines, various types of ammunition, and three mobile phones.