The Nigerian Army says its troops have uncovered a clandestine arms hideout belonging to the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed militant wing Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Garri Area of Enugu State, Nigeria’s South-east.
Olabisi Ayeni, the spokesperson of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
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Mr Ayeni, a lieutenant colonel, said the arms hideout was discovered when the troops in collaboration with personnel of the State Security Service (SSS) raided the area on Tuesday.
“Troops uncovered a clandestine arms hideout concealed within a zinc structure disguised as a piggery.
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“A thorough exploitation of the site led to the recovery of a substantial cache of weapons and ammunition,” he said.
General Purpose Machine Guns, RPG-7 launcher tube, AK-47 rifles, hand grenades, tear gas gun with cartridges, and AK-47 magazines were among the arms and ammunition recovered from the hideout during the operation, according to the army.
Others were 270 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, and 478 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.
The army spokesperson said an unspecified number of suspected IPOB members were arrested by the security operatives during the operation.
“All recovered items and arrested suspects have been handed over to the SSS Enugu State Command for further investigation and appropriate legal action,” he said.
He added that the raid, which was part of ongoing Operation Eastern Sanity II, was an effort to consolidate the peace building process in the South-east.
The Nigerian Army’s Operation Udo Ka is leading the ongoing Operation Eastern Sanity II in the region.
Mr Ayeni explained that the raid was a follow-up operation in response to a tip-off received from previously arrested IPOB/ESN fighters.
“This intelligence-driven operation underscores the effective interagency collaboration in the region, resulting in proactive measures to counter threats to national unity and public safety.
“It also reflects Operation Udo Ka’s unwavering commitment to sustaining offensive actions against criminal and terrorist networks that undermine peace in the region,” he said.
More arms, ammunition uncovered in Enugu community
Giving an update in a separate statement on Thursday, Mr Ayeni said the troops further raided “a Safe House” at Agbani, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State and uncovered another “clandestine arms hideout.”
“A thorough exploitation of the apartment led to the recovery of more weapons and ammunition. These include AK- 47 Riffles, AK-47 magazines, 323 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition and 10 x pairs of IPOB uniforms,” he said, adding that more suspects were also arrested.
The army spokesperson said, in the previous operation, all recovered items and arrested suspects were handed over to the SSS for further investigation and prosecution.
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He urged Nigerians to continue providing “timely and credible information” to security forces in the South-east to aid the fight against terrorism and other criminality.
“This will enhance the collective efforts to achieve lasting peace and security in the Southeast,” he said.
IPOB, a group seeking to carve out the South-east and some parts of the south-south from Nigeria, has been linked to some deadly attacks in the two regions.
But the separatist group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.
