A joint operation by the Department of State Services (DSS) and troops of the Nigerian Army’s 82 Division has reportedly thwarted a planned wave of attacks and kidnappings allegedly being coordinated by members of the outlawed Eastern Security Network (ESN) across the South-East.
Security sources disclosed that the operation followed intelligence gathered by the DSS, leading to the arrest of two suspected ESN field commanders in Garki, Enugu State, on Monday. The suspects were said to have been coordinating planned attacks on security checkpoints and the abduction of women, students, and children in the region.
According to the sources, information obtained from the arrested suspects prompted the DSS to seek military support from the 82 Division. This led to a series of covert raids carried out on Tuesday and Wednesday on a suspected ESN armoury located in the Agbani area of Enugu State.
The operation resulted in the recovery of a significant cache of weapons and ammunition, including a rocket launcher, two rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) warheads, three RPG chargers, and 11 AK-47 rifles. Security operatives also recovered 18 AK-47 magazines, 1,071 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, two handheld grenades, a teargas gun, a baton, two teargas canisters, a smoke grenade launcher, and additional crowd-control equipment.
Also recovered during the raids were 10 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) trousers, eight NYSC T-shirts, and four NYSC lanyards. Intelligence reports indicated that the uniforms were allegedly intended to serve as disguises for operatives carrying out the planned attacks.
Another security source said intelligence obtained from the suspects suggested that the group had planned coordinated attacks across South-East states aimed at creating widespread fear and projecting an image of escalating insecurity in the region.
The latest operation comes barely a week after DSS operatives arrested five suspected arms couriers allegedly linked to the abduction of students and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri Village, Niger State, on November 21, 2025. The suspects, including two foreign nationals from Niger Republic, were apprehended in coordinated operations across Kaduna, Niger, and Kebbi states.
Security agencies reportedly recovered 15 AK-103 rifles, 15 magazines, and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from the suspects.
Security officials maintained that the outlawed ESN has been linked to a series of attacks on security personnel and kidnapping incidents in parts of the South-East. The Enugu operation follows recent arrests of several other suspected members of the group in the state as authorities intensify efforts to curb violent activities in the region.
