Troops kill four IPOB/ESN fighters in Anambra

No fewer than four suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network, ESN, have been killed by troops of the Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA II.

This was contained in a statement issued and made available to journalists on Sunday by the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 82 Division Nigerian Army, Jonah Unuakhalu, who said the operation took place on Thursday along the Orsumoghu-Ukpor road in Anambra State.

According to the statement, the gunmen ambushed the troops with an improvised explosive device (IED) before the officers engaged them in a gun battle, leading to the deaths of the four criminals.

Unuakhalu claimed that during the gunfight, the troops used superior firepower to thwart the ambush and neutralize one member of the IPOB gang.

He stated that three more bodies of criminal elements who perished as a result of gunshot wounds were recovered during the conflict.

The statement further revealed that two AK-47 rifles were recovered at the scene of the firefight, saying some of the criminals escaped into the nearby bushes with various degrees of gunshot injuries.

The statement reads, “Troops of Joint Task Force South East Operation UDO KA II, while on a routine patrol on Thursday, September 28, 2023, encountered an ambush staged by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliates, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), using an improvised explosive device (IED) along the Orsumoghu-Ukpor road in Anambra State.

“During the firefight, the gallant troops countered the ambush with superior firepower, neutralizing one member of the irredentist group.

“Two AK-47 rifles were recovered at the scene of the firefight, while others escaped into the nearby bushes with various degrees of gunshot injuries.

“On further exploitation of the withdrawal route, three more bodies of IPOB/ESN members were recovered who died from gunshot wounds sustained during the firefight.

“The Joint Task Force South East Operation UDO KA II wishes to reassure the good people of the South East of its unwavering resolve and commitment to restoring lasting peace in the region, as it will not relent in the fight to end the security challenges in the region.

“The Task Force therefore calls on law-abiding and good citizens of the Southeast region not to relent in providing timely, credible, and reliable information, which will lead to ending the menace of insecurity occasioned by the activities of the irredentist group in the region.

“Operation UDO KA II will continue combating crime and criminality by the existing rules and regulations guiding its operations.”