Eric Patrick
In a major security breakthrough, troops of Sector 5, Operation UDO KA, in a joint operation with the 63 Brigade and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), have intercepted a truck loaded with over 164,000 live cartridges, allegedly en route to members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
The operation, based on actionable intelligence, was carried out on May 29, 2025, along the Asaba–Onitsha expressway. During the raid, the troops arrested a suspect identified as Mr. Emeka Omenife, believed to be a key arms courier.
According to intelligence sources quoted by counter-insurgency analyst Zagazola Makama, Omenife was subsequently handed over to the DSS for interrogation. During questioning, he allegedly confessed to being part of a transnational smuggling network that traffics ammunition from Ghana into Nigeria, supplying IPOB/ESN operatives.
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Following his confession, a follow-up operation was launched. On May 30, 2025, security forces arrested a second suspect, Uchenna Obiora, at the Onitsha–Awka tollgate, where he was reportedly waiting to receive the illicit shipment.
The seizure of the ammunition-laden truck represents a significant blow to the logistics chain of IPOB/ESN and a major stride in ongoing efforts to stem the flow of illegal arms fueling unrest in Nigeria’s southeast.
Security operatives say investigations are ongoing and more arrests are expected.
