In a joint operation conducted on May 2, 2024, the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with sister services and various security agencies, successfully neutralized an expert in Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) affiliated with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). This operation took place in Orsu-Ihitteukwa, Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.
According to credible military sources, the combined forces, comprising personnel from the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, Nigerian Police, Department of State Services, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, were engaged in a clearance operation in Udaah, Identa Ihitteukwa, and Awo Idemili within Orsu LGA. During the operation, insurgents initiated hostilities by opening fire and deploying hand-held IEDs and locally manufactured rockets (known as Ogbunigwe) against the advancing troops.
Despite facing such resistance, the troops pressed forward, triggering detonations of several IEDs planted by the insurgents who subsequently dispersed in disarray. During the engagement, one insurgent was successfully neutralized while in the process of connecting an explosive device to its power source.
Among the items recovered during the operation were locally manufactured rocket launchers, defused IEDs, as well as materials such as pipes and wires utilized in the production of explosives and rocket launchers. Additionally, the troops identified and mitigated numerous ditches employed by ESN elements as road obstacles within the community.
The Nigerian Army affirms its commitment to ongoing operations aimed at thwarting the activities of separatist elements and ensuring the preservation of peace and security within the region.
