Security forces have launched a major offensive against the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the armed wing of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in Imo State, killing key figures and destroying several camps.
The coordinated operation, which began on June 29, was led by the Department of State Services (DSS) in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, special forces, and local tactical units.
According to security analyst Zagazola Makama in a post on Tuesday, July 1, the joint mission targeted terrorist hideouts in Njaba and Isu Local Government Areas.
The raids were based on intelligence obtained from arrested ESN commanders, Uchenna Opara, also known as Ntanta Miri, and Ozioma Ihedoro, known as OZ, both from Umuaka in Njaba.
Troops stormed known ESN enclaves in Umuele Umuaka, Ezioha, and Ugbele Umuaka, where a heavy gunfight broke out.
Three ESN members were killed in the exchange, with their bodies later recovered around Ugbele Umuaka. Others reportedly fled with gunshot wounds.
Security forces then cleared the group’s B44 camp network, which included locations codenamed Tangle 2, 4, 5, 7, and 9. These camps had been significant strategic bases for the group.
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Tragically, a caterpillar operator assisting the team was killed during a firefight as troops approached the B44 main camp. He was taken to the Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH), Owerri, but later pronounced dead.
Recovered items from the operation included one AK-47 rifle, 15 rounds of live ammunition, a pump-action shotgun, two improvised explosive devices (IEDs), a human skull, and a Biafran flag.
Two more suspects were arrested during the mop-up. Emeka Ogene Sabinus from Ezi Isu, Isu LGA, and Nnabuike Emmanuel from Ohofia Oduma in Enugu State were found with tribal marks linked to the proscribed group.
“The terrain is difficult, but our operatives are relentless,” said a senior security source. “We are targeting leadership figures, supply chains, and safe havens.”
Mop-up operations are still underway in surrounding forests across Orlu, Njaba, and Isu corridors to capture fleeing members.
This crackdown marks another milestone in ongoing efforts to quell separatist violence and restore stability to the South-East.