Troops of the south east joint task force under Operation Udo Ka (OPUK), on Thursday, February 26, destroyed a terrorist hideout and arrested two members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group in Nkwere, Anambra state.
The operation involved personnel of the Nigerian army, Nigeria police force, and Nigerian security and civil defence corps, with troops advancing through difficult terrain for over three hours under heavy fire before overwhelming the criminal enclave known as mother valley and dismantling its operational infrastructure.
The criminals deployed locally made hand-held improvised explosive devices and opened sustained gunfire in a bid to repel the advancing forces.
However, the troops overpowered the group, neutralizing one suspect, while several others escaped with gunshot injuries.
Security forces recovered a cache of weapons and logistics items from the hideout, including two pump-action guns, a locally fabricated firearm, a tear gas gun, 16 cartridges, seven gas cylinders, an electric kettle, and flags linked to extremist propaganda.
The forces also destroyed key infrastructure at the camp, including solar panels and a Mikano generator.
An ambush team also apprehended two IPOB members, one of whom was caught in the act of planting an improvised explosive device, and another identified as a lookout monitoring troop movements.
A search of a designated terrorist car park within the valley led to the recovery of a Kia saloon car and a black Toyota Sequoia.
Both suspects are in custody, undergoing profiling and further investigation.
The military command described the raid as a stern warning that there are no longer any safe havens for criminal elements.
The Nigerian army reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling all terrorist networks across the south east, assuring law-abiding residents of continued protection while vowing to use overwhelming force to dismantle criminal networks.
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