20 Ipob fighters killed following bloody gun-battle with security forces in Imo State

ABOUT 20 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) have been killed in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State over the weekend after the secessionist fighters were involved in a bitter gun-battle with security forces.

Eager to offer some sort of local security in the southeast Ipob created an armed wing called the Eastern Security Network (ESN), which it has given the responsibility of confronting armed Fulani herdsmen across the geo-political zone. Over the last year or so, however, the ESN has been accused of acts of bringandry, including raiding police stations and carting away weapons and of carrying out murders across the southeast.

This has led to confrontations with the security forces, and this weekend, men of the armed forces, Department of State Services, Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps clashed with Ipob. In the joint operation which was conducted on March 7, the security operatives destroyed 50 of the Ipob camps.

Among the camps destroyed included the Ipob’s supreme headquarters, its command and control centre and the group's military council headquarters. On March 5, Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Navy soldiers killed five fighters Ipob fighters during a gun battle that occurred at Ejemekuru in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State.

Also, on March 2, troops killed an Ipob fighter after a fierce gun duel and recovered three improvised explosive devices (IED), one Toyota Highlander SUV, one Hilux vehicle and eight rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. Defence headquarters spokesman Major General Edward Buba said the troops came in contact with many IEDs planted by the fighters and ditches along the axis to the camps.

He added that the fighters’ hideouts were well concealed with foliage that prevented them from being sighted during air surveillance. He added:  “On March 7, 2024, the combined troops of Operation Udo Ka with Nigeria Police, Department of State Security Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps conducted a raid/clearance operations to the Ipob/ESN violent extremists/terrorists in Mother Valley, Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.

“The team cleared about 50 Ipob/ESN hideout tents in the valley including the terrorists’ supreme headquarters and their command and control centre as well as their military council headquarters. Troops also, cleared Buteuzor’s hideout/residence office, logistic base, temple and shrine as their hideouts were well concealed with foliage that afforded the criminals cover from air surveillance to prevent monitoring and detection.

“The valley had sufficient power supply for the camps. The terrorists hibernated there, reared animals and also owned farms to be self-sustaining to live and fight. During the operations, troops also encountered several command IEDs and ditches along the axis of the camp.”

General Buba stated that the ditches dug by the fighters were covered and the IEDs they planted in them were detonated. He noted that in the fight that ensued after making contact with the fighters, 20 of them were killed and several weapons were recovered from them.