The Anambra State Police Command has successfully dismantled and destroyed a militia camp allegedly operated by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in Aguluezechukwu, Aguata Local Government Area of the state.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the operation was carried out in the early hours of September 2, 2025. The joint security raid was led by the police and involved troops from the 302 Artillery Regiment, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Anambra State Vigilante Group.
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Ikenga revealed that the coordinated operation lasted for over five hours, during which the militia members were dislodged, their camp destroyed, and several Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) recovered from the site. A white Lexus 470 SUV was also seized during the raid.
The police spokesperson added that many of the suspects fled the scene with gunshot injuries, while efforts are ongoing to track and apprehend them. “The area has since been stabilised and remains calm as monitoring continues to ensure the safety and security of residents, while efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects,” Ikenga stated.
Reassuring residents of the state, Ikenga said: “The Anambra State Police Command reassures Ndi Anambra of its unwavering commitment to sustaining the fight against criminality and restoring peace across the State.”
During the operation, some clothes and materials bearing IPOB inscriptions were also set ablaze by security operatives.
The raid in Anambra comes just days after a similar operation in Imo State, where police operatives dislodged another suspected IPOB/ESN camp in Nempi, Oru West Local Government Area.
The Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, confirmed in a statement that the Anti-Kidnapping Unit arrested 29 suspects linked to the outlawed group during the raid—25 males and four females.
Okoye disclosed that the breakthrough followed the arrest of a key suspect, Anukuru Nnana Emmanuel, 25, in Mgbidi the previous week. His confessions, according to police, led operatives to the camp.
“During the operation, several dangerous items were recovered, including four pump action guns, two locally made revolvers, five locally made pistols, three AK-47 magazines, a Point of Sale (POS) machine, and 20 rounds of live cartridges, one white SUV, as well as local bulletproof charms used by the criminal syndicate,” Okoye said.
Both Anambra and Imo State Police Commands have vowed to sustain coordinated operations to weaken IPOB/ESN’s operational strongholds and restore peace across the Southeast.
