Troops of the Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, have dismantled a terrorist hideout and recovered a cache of weapons and other operational equipment during an offensive operation in Anambra State.
The operation, conducted by troops of 185 Battalion in collaboration with the Anambra Vigilante Group, also led to the rescue of three kidnapped victims and the arrest of a suspected member of a kidnapping syndicate.
The Nigerian Army said the operations were part of sustained efforts to disrupt terrorist and criminal networks, deny them freedom of action and protect communities across the South-East.
Following the abduction of three persons around the Osakwa General Area of Ihiala Local Government Area, troops working with the Anambra Vigilante Group launched a rescue operation and successfully recovered the victims.
On October 1, 2026, troops subsequently conducted a snap operation during which they arrested a suspected kidnapper identified as Sunday Obi.
According to the Army, information obtained from the suspect during interrogation led troops to the location of the syndicate’s camp at Abator in Ogbaru Local Government Area, across the Isieke waterside.
Acting on the intelligence, troops mounted a joint operation to the identified location, using canoes to cross the waterways and gain access to the hideout.
On arrival, the troops engaged the terrorists with superior firepower, forcing them to flee, with some reportedly sustaining gunshot wounds.
The operation resulted in the recovery of two AK-47 rifles with magazines, three pump-action guns and three locally fabricated Dane guns.
The troops also recovered 62 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, 149 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition, two cartridges and materials suspected to be intended for the fabrication of improvised explosive devices.
Other items recovered from the camp included a solar generator, power bank, car battery, two motorcycle batteries, two solar panels and two mobile phones.
The Army said the recovery of the weapons and equipment had exposed part of the logistical infrastructure supporting terrorist and kidnapping activities in the area and provided additional intelligence for ongoing efforts to dismantle the wider criminal network.
It said follow-up operations were underway to apprehend the fleeing terrorists, their collaborators, logistics suppliers and other facilitators.
The Nigerian Army said Operation UDO KA would sustain coordinated kinetic and intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves, disrupting their logistics and supply chains and denying criminal elements safe havens across the South-East.
The troops, it added, would continue to work with other security agencies and local stakeholders to strengthen security and protect communities across the region.
