Nigerian Army raids IPOB-ESN strongholds in Anambra, recovers weapons

Troops of the Nigerian Army's Joint Task Force South East, Operation Udoka, dismantled strongholds of the Indigenous People of Biafra-Eastern Security Network (IPOB-ESN) in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State on Saturday, August 22, 2026, recovering weapons and materials suspected to be used for making improvised explosive devices. The operation, conducted in the early morning hours, resulted in the neutralization of at least one suspected militant and the death of a soldier from an IED blast.

The coordinated dawn offensive was carried out by the 185 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in conjunction with the Military Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Maritime Component, and the Anambra Vigilante Group. According to military reports, the operation targeted identified strongholds at Obene and Abator villages within the Ochuche and Umunankwo communities. Troops launched the assault around 500 a.m., and upon sighting the advancing forces, suspected IPOB-ESN elements opened fire before abandoning their positions and fleeing into the surrounding terrain.

The military stated that troops responded with superior firepower and pursued the fleeing fighters. Blood...