Also captured was a notorious ESN commander.
The Nigerian Army’s 82 Division, along with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Department of State Services (DSS), and other security organisations, made substantial wins against criminal elements in the states of Enugu and Cross River through a series of coordinated operations.
Under the guise of Operation UDO KA II, troops conducted a raid on the hideouts of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed branch, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), at Imufu in the Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Three Semi Automatic Pump Action Rifles, a locally made single barrel cannon, and two irredentist combatants were neutralised as a result of the engagement.
Additionally, Mr. Ezege, a notorious ESN Commander, was detained at Obinagu in the Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State as a result of the joint efforts of the DSS and the military.
Through popular videos and audio messages on social media, Mr. Ezege recently threatened violence against the state of Enugu. He is currently being held for more investigation.
In a separate operation, the DSS and the 130 Battalion of the Nigerian Army’s 82 Division collaborated to dismantle a gunrunning ring in the Obudu motorbike park in Cross River State.
Acting on reliable information, the operation resulted in the capture of the syndicate head and his collaborators, including two Nigerians and two Cameroonian citizens.
Investigations conducted so far have uncovered a network through which the conspirators acquired weapons, which they then sold to an intermediary who sent weapons and ammunition to Ambazonian Separatists in the Republic of Cameroon.
Raphael, commonly known as Biajua, the kingpin, was apprehended in the Biajua community in the Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State as a result of subsequent operations. In the process, four semi-automatic pump action rifles and four mobile phones were produced.
In a statement released by Brigadier General Onyema, the Nigerian Army’s spokesman, the public was advised to exercise caution and alert security services to any suspicious activity in order to support current operations to resolve security issues.
The Army continues to make unrelenting efforts to thwart unlawful enforcement, thus the people of Southeast Nigeria are urged to disregard any unlawful “sit-at-home” orders and go about their daily lives as usual.
