BY GODWIN IJEDIOGOR

TROOPS of the Joint Task Force in the Southeast Operation, code named Operation Udo Ka, made up of the Nigeria Army, Nigeria Navy, Nigeria Air Force, as well as personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Department of State Security (DSS) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which came into effect on February 11, this year, have cleared and liberated Orsu, Eke-Ututu, Tango One Orsumorghu, Ihiteukwa Ihittenansa and Lilu in the last three weeks.

In continuation of the sustained operations, the  troops, on Thursday, March 7, cleared and destroyed the supreme headquarters of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN) located in the Mother Valley and spanning Orsu Local Council in Imo State and Ihiala in Anambra State.

 The Nigeria Army, in a post on its X handle, HQNigerianArmy, said: “The well concealed and forested location affords the terrorists good cover from air surveillance and also serves as their command and control centre and military council headquarters.

“During the raid operations, the troops encountered, detonated and recovered many command Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and various types of obstacles, which were cleared by the troops.

“The troops also came in contact with the terrorists, but were subdued with superior fire power, with many neutralised, while others with varying degrees of gunshot wounds fled into the bush.

“Thus, all Ndi-Imo and Ndi-Anambra are requested to report any strange face in their communities to OPUK by dialing Emergency Line 193 and Press 2 from their phones.” 

In addition to many weapons, equipment, IEDs and stolen vehicles recovered over the last three weeks, it listed items recovered in the IPOB/ESN headquarters to include there G3 rifles; nine automatic pump action rifles; seven double barrel guns; two locally-made pistols; two rocket propelled grenade bombs; two AK 47 magazine and one G3 magazine.

Others were 26 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition; 16 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition; 72 pump action cartridges; one chainsaw; one laptop; one CCTV DVR; 26 CCTV cameras; 17 x Baofeng radios, with batteries and 10 without batteries, including their chargers.

Also recovered were six handheld IEDs; 26 android phones; 25 normal phones; one inverter; one SIM card registration machine; four POS machines; three motorcycle batteries for igniting IEDs; two trumpets; two Biafra flags; 20 ESN certificates; two dairies containing details of ammunition and food supplies and two pairs of Biafra Liberation Army uniforms.

The post said the troops also destroyed about 50 tents in the valley housing the supreme headquarters; IPOB/ESN command and control center; Buteuzor’s hideout and residence; offices; their logistics base; temples and shrines used for occultic practices, among many other items.

The JTF Commander, Maj-Gen. Hassan Taiwo Dada, urged leaders of all liberated communities to return to their ancestral homes and establish community efforts to ensure that all criminal elements not from the communities did not return to desecrate their homelands.

The JTF assured that it would continue to provide all security support to such communities within the ambit of the law, even as it enjoined all law-abiding indigenes to provide timely and actionable information through OPUK emergency line to help make the Southeast  a peaceful and conducive environment for socio-economic development to thrive.