Firefight in Anambra: 4 IPOB/ESN gunmen shot dead

By Stanley Nwanosike

Nigerian troops of Joint Task Force South-East, code-named Operation UDO KA II killed four gunmen of the proscribed Indigenous People of ofBiafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) and recovered two AK-47 rifles during a gun duel along Orsumoghu-Ukpor Road in Anambra State.

The troops has encountered an ambush, staged by IPOB and its armed affiliates ESN using Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) during a patrol of the area, leading to the firefight, according to a statement issued on Saturday by Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army.

Unuakhalu said the encounter between the troops and the IPOB/ESN irredentist group took place on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023.

He said: “During the firefight, the gallant troops countered the ambush with superior firepower, neutralising one member of the irredentist group.

“Two AK-47 rifles were recovered at the scene of the firefight while others escaped into the nearby bushes with various degrees of gunshot injuries.

“On further exploitation of the withdrawal route, three more bodies of IPOB/ESN members were recovered who died from gunshot wounds sustained during the firefight.”

The army spokesman said that Operation UDO KA II wishes to reassure the good people of the South-East of its unwavering resolve and commitment to restore lasting peace in the region.

He said that the troops would not relent in the fight to end the security challenges in the region.

“The Task Force, therefore, calls on law-abiding and good citizens of the South-East not to relent in providing timely, credible and reliable information which will lead to ending the menace of insecurity occasioned by activities of the irredentist group in the region.

“Operation UDO KA II will continue combating crime and criminality in accordance with the extant rules and regulations guiding its operations,” he added.

(NAN)