By Chinenye Onwusonye
The Nigeria Police Force has announced the dismantling of an alleged IPOB/ESN enclave in Imo State, leading to the recovery of heavy weapons, thousands of rounds of ammunition and surveillance equipment during a coordinated security operation.
The development was disclosed in a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Okon Placid, and dated May 10, 2026, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
According to the statement, operatives of the Imo State Police Command carried out the operation on April 23, 2026, at a suspected terrorist hideout located in Nguru, Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of the state.
Police authorities said the raid followed credible intelligence obtained from the confessional statement of a suspected senior IPOB/ESN commander identified as Ebube Uchenna Mmaduakolam, popularly known as “Ebube Virus.”
Three suspects were reportedly arrested during the operation and are currently in police custody assisting investigators with information concerning the group’s logistics network, operational structure and planned activities.
Items recovered from the hideout included two General-Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), 3,115 rounds of GPMG ammunition, one AK-47 rifle, a pump-action shotgun, several surveillance drones and Biafra currency in different denominations.
The Inspector-General of Police was said to have commended the operatives involved in the operation for what he described as courage, professionalism and tactical efficiency.
The police hierarchy further stated that the seizure of the weapons and equipment had significantly weakened the operational capability of the alleged IPOB/ESN network in the South-East.
The Force reiterated its commitment to maintaining law and order across the country and assured Nigerians of continued efforts to combat violent extremism and organized criminal activities.
