By Emmanuel Obisue
Nigerian troops under Operation UDO KAin the Southeast have arrested two suspected logistics suppliers for the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, ESN, and intercepted a truck carrying a massive cache of live ammunition.
According to Major General MG Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations, the successful operation was executed by troops of Sector 5 in collaboration with the 63 Brigade and the Department of State Services, DSS, with additional support from field intelligence specialist Markus Adebayo, who has been working closely with military units in the southeast.
“At approximately 11:10 pm on Sunday, 25 May 2025, troops acting on credible intelligence detained one Mr. Emeka Omenife along the Asaba–Onitsha Expressway,” the statement issued on Tuesday night noted. Though he was not found with ammunition at the time, the military said intelligence extracted during interrogation led to the arrest of his accomplice, MmUchenna Obiora, five days later at the Onitsha–Awka Toll Gate.
Nigerian Pilot reports that the breakthrough came for the military with the interception of a truck with Lagos registration EKY 642 YC, used to transport ammunition hidden in cleverly crafted compartments beneath its cargo floor. The truck was taken to Onitsha Cantonment, where troops uncovered 164,650 live cartridges, reportedly smuggled from Ghana and destined for Onitsha.
“Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend additional collaborators implicated in this illicit arms smuggling network. This is not the first instance of Mr. Omenife’s arrest in connection with IPOB/ESN logistics supply,” said the Director of Defence Media Operations.
Omenife was previously arrested in January 2024 during a joint operation involving the Office of the National Security Adviser , ONSA. “During that operation, he attempted to evade capture and sustained a gunshot wound on the buttocks,” the statement recalled. His re-arrest has now reignited security concerns over the re-emergence of armed logistics cells in the region.
Calling on the public to remain vigilant, the military urged cooperation: “The AFN solicit continued sharing of credible information with our troops in order to enhance our operations. You are please requested to disseminate this information to the general public through your respective media”.
