Troops of Operation Udoka have apprehended a suspected founding member of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), along with several others, in sting operations across Imo and Abia States.
The arrests were announced by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, during a bi-weekly briefing in Abuja.
“In the South-East, the troops of Operation Udoka, Forward Operational Base (FOB), Orsu, in a sting operation, apprehended a terrorist leader belonging to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its Eastern Security Network (ESN) terrorist group known as Mr. Pius Iguh. He is an IPOB founding father responsible for the Orsu general area in Imo State,” Buba stated.
The operation extended to Abia State, where troops of FOB Amaruku raided an IPOB commander’s hideout in Mbano Local Government Area, leading to the arrest of Emmanuel Onwugu. Additionally, Ifeanyi Rock, described as a “notorious cult leader,” and ten of his commanders were captured in Arochukwu, Abia State.
Major General Buba further reported that security forces recovered weapons and other items from the operations. In other efforts, troops rescued 76 kidnap victims and neutralized 140 terrorists, arresting 135 during the past week.
On the ongoing fight against crude oil theft, 18 suspects were apprehended, and over 1.1 million liters of stolen crude oil, along with 557,210 liters of illegally refined diesel, were recovered. The military also destroyed several illegal refining sites in the Niger Delta region.
