Troops raid notorious IPOB/ESN camp in Imo, recover IEDs

The Joint Task Force Operation UDO KA, has raided a notorious camp of elements of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in Imo.

This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the spokesperson of the operation, Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhalu.

He said that the B44 Camp of Monday Oluchi-Ogu, located around Njaba River on the border between Awo-Omama community in Oru East LGA and Ezoiha community in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo, was destroyed.

He added that three Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), one RPG bomb, a motorcycle, seven Baofeng radio, local jewelries, a foreign ATM card, two SIM cards, two voter cards, plate numbers of stolen vehicles and a toolbox were recovered.

Unuakhalu said that the raid was conducted on Thursday and Friday to clear the notorious camp.

He said that during the clearance operation, the troops came in contact with the criminals and forced them to flee with various degrees of gunshot wounds.

“Troops further encountered and detonated some of the planted IEDs meant to hinder troops movements.”

The spokesman further said that the troops discovered shallow graves at the camp of those kidnapped and killed by the gang.

“As part of the Nigerian Army’s Civil-Military Relations, forensic analysis of some of the exhumed corpses will be done for a befitting burial,” he added.

Unuakhalu said that the Force Commander, Operation UDO KA, Maj.-Gen. Hassan Dada, had assured all citizens of the South-East of Nigerian Army’s commitments to ensure peace and stability in the region.

He urged the general public to provide timely, reliable and credible information through toll free line 193.