By Tony Adibe
The Joint Task Force “Operation UDO KA” said that its operatives raided most notorious Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed Eastern Security Network (ESN) Monday Oluchi-Ogu Camp also known as B44 Camp in Imo.
The troops recovered three Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), one RPG bomb, one motorcycle, seven Baofeng handheld radios, local jewelries, a foreign ATM card, two SIM cards, two voter’s cards, plate numbers of stolen vehicles and a toolbox from the camp.
This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday in Enugu by Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhalu for Joint Task Force Operation UDO KA. Unuakhalu said that the raid which commenced on Thursday, March 28, was aimed at clearing known IPOB/ESN camp located at the boundary of Njaba River bordering Awo-Omama community in Oru East LGA and Ezoiha community in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo.
He said: “During the clearance operations that continued on Friday, March 29; troops came in contact with the criminals. “Due to the superior fire power, the terrorists were forced to flee into the nearby bushes with various degrees of injuries and gunshot wounds. Troops further encountered and detonated some of the planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) meant to hinder troops movements.”
The spokesman of the operation said that it was disheartening to discover that some innocent Nigerians reported kidnapped were gruesomely murdered and buried in shallow graves in the camp without any form of dignity. According to him, “As part of the Nigerian Army’s Civil Military Cooperation Relations, forensic analysis of some of the exhumed corpses will be done for a befitting burial.”
He said that the Force Commander of Joint Task Force Operation UDO KA, Maj.-Gen. Hassan Dada, wished to assure all citizens of the South-East of the Nigerian Army’s commitments to ensure peace and stability in the region. He said: “The general public is enjoined to continue in providing timely, reliable and credible information through its toll free line -193 – and press Option 2 to speak directly to a representative.”
