Korede Abdullah in Lagos
In a coordinated operation hailed as a “momentous development,” troops of Sector 5, Operation UDO KA, alongside personnel from 63 Brigade and the Department of State Services (DSS), intercepted a truck carrying 164,650 live cartridges and arrested two alleged logistics suppliers linked to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
According to a statement signed by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major-General Markus Kangye on Wednesday, the truck, bearing Lagos registration number EKY 642 YC, was fitted with “four ingeniously constructed compartments” where the ammunition was concealed before being discovered at Onitsha Cantonment.
The operation, which began on 25 May 2025, led to the arrest of Mr. Emeka Omenife on the Asaba–Onitsha Expressway based on what Kangye described as “credible intelligence.”
Though initially found without weapons, Omenife’s interrogation revealed key details about the arms trafficking network. His confession subsequently led to the arrest of an accomplice, Mr. Uchenna Obiora, five days later at the Onitsha–Awka Toll Gate while he was allegedly waiting to receive the illicit cargo.
“This is not the first instance of Mr. Omenife’s arrest in connection with IPOB/ESN logistics supply,” Kangye noted, referencing an earlier 2024 operation where Omenife was injured while attempting to evade arrest.
Highlighting the scale and persistence of the threat, Kangye warned that the suspects’ activities underscore “the imperative for sustained and coordinated countermeasures” against criminal supply chains supporting banned organizations.
He emphasized the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to dismantling these networks and urged the public to continue providing “credible information” to aid future operations.
