Operation Udoka Turning The Tide Against IPOB/ESN In South-East Nigeria
When travellers once avoided forest roads in Imo, Anambra and parts of Enugu for fear of ambush, that anxiety was the daily reality of communities trapped between violent separatist cells and criminal gangs and not imaginary.
Today, the Nigerian Army says that reality is changing, inch by inch, operation by operation.
The General Officer Commanding 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Oluremi Fadairo, while commending the contributions of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, reported significant progress in degrading the operational capacity of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), through a mix of hard and soft power under Operation UDO KA.
He gave this update to the Defence Correspondent of the Defence Headquarters Department of Media Operations during a recent media tour of the Area of Operations Udoka.
According to the Division, the campaign has unfolded in carefully sequenced phases, beginning with de-escalation and containment, moving to decisive operations, and culminating in a stabilisation drive reinforced by civil-military engagement.
Between August 2025 and December 2025, troops conducted 161 clearance and raid operations, dismantling 45 IPOB/ESN camps, destroying IED factories, and recovering assault rifles, locally fabricated weapons, explosives, and surveillance equipment.
One of the most high-profile successes was the destruction of the camp of a notorious commander known as “Gentle the Yahoo” in Okigwe, Imo State, forcing him to flee his hideout.
Beyond counter-terror operations, the Division targeted the criminal economy that fuels insecurity.
In a sustained anti-illegal bunkering push, troops destroyed 51 illegal refining sites, arrested 12 suspects, and neutralised dozens of vehicles, boats, and equipment used in crude theft.
Kidnapping, a grim revenue stream for armed groups, also came under pressure.
Of 32 recorded incidents across the region, 49 victims were rescued, including dramatic recoveries along the Ikang, Cameroon waterways during Operation SAFE EMBER, where soldiers thwarted boat hijackings and rescued 18 passengers, among them two infants.
Equally significant has been the non-kinetic strategy. Over 80 militants in Akpabuyo, Cross River State, voluntarily laid down arms under a state-backed amnesty programme.
In Ebonyi, former vigilantes surrendered weapons and completed a six-week Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme. Communities in Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi also benefited from medical outreaches and water projects under the Chief of Army Staff’s CIMIC initiative.
However, the Division acknowledged persistent challenges, including misinformation, politicisation of military operations, and overseas funding networks for IPOB.
Commanders say they are countering this through stakeholder dialogue, town halls, and strategic communication via Radio Udoka.
Looking ahead, 82 Division says it will deepen joint operations with other security agencies while expanding peace-driven DDR initiatives, particularly in Anambra’s Ihiala axis, where talks are ongoing with the state government.
For families who once lived in fear of every dawn, the message from the battlefield is clear: security is still a work in progress, but the momentum has shifted.
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