Nigerian Army authority has said that a combined team of security operatives in the country have destroyed the dreaded Mother Valley camp, believed to be one of the major headquarters of the Biafra secessionist armed groups which is about 5000 feet below sea level spanning between Orsu Local government area in Imo State and Ihiala Local government area in Anambra State.

Nigerian Army which stated this few days ago also announced few hours ago that its troops have located and destroyed a weapon manufacturing factory of the Biafra secessionist fighters at a border town between Abia and Ebonyi States.

Nigerian Army attached to the news releases pictorial evidences of activities of actions of military troops in the recaptured communities and Mother Valley forest with signposts showing Lilu in Ihiala.

According to the Army spokesperson, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, “In South Eastern Nigeria, troops on Sunday 10 March 2024 successfully raided and destroyed IPOB/ESN Fighters’ Fire arms production factory located between Ekoli Edda and Amagwu Ohafia communities in Abia and Eboyin States respectively.

The dissidents’ camp, which was used for fabricating fire arms and production of ammunition was fortified with fire trenches/sand bag parapets and powered with a 15 KVA Generator.

The vigilant troops recovered 2 fabricated AK-47 rifles, one Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) bomb, 2 IPOB/ESN flags, as well as Welding and Filing machines from the the factory”.

Earlier, Nigerian Army in a news release titled: “TROOPS OF JOINT TASK FORCE SOUTH EAST OP UDO KA RAIDED AND DESTROYED IPOB/ ESN SUPREME HEADQUARTERS AT MOTHER VALLEY” said:

“Recalling the commencement of the Joint Task Force South East Operation UDO KA (OPUK) that started on 11 February 2024, the combined JTF troops of NA, NN and NAF as well as personnel of NPF, DSS and NSCDC had cleared and liberated Orsu, Eke-Ututu, Tango One Orsumorghu, Ihiteukwa Ihittenansa and Lilu over the last 3 weeks.

In continuation of th sustained operations, the JTF OPUK troops on 7 March 2024 cleared and destroyed the notorious Supreme Headquarters of the terrorists Indigenous People of Biafara (IPOB) and its armed affiliate Eastern Security Network (ESN).

The headquarters that serves as the last IPOB/ESN stronghold is located in the Mother Valley and spans Orsu and Ihiala Local government areas of Imo and Anambra States respectively is about 5,000 feet below sea level. The well concealed and forested location affords the terrorists good cover from air surveillance. It also serves as their command and control centre and military council headquarters.

During the raid operations, the gallant troops encountered, detonated and recovered many command Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and various types of obstacles which were cleared by the determined troops. The troops also came in contact with the terrorists but were subdued with superior fire power with many neutralized while others with varying degrees of gunshot wounds fled into the bush. Thus, all Ndi-Imo and Ndi-Anambra are requested to report any strange face in their communities to OPUK by dialing Emergency Line 193 and Press 2 from their phones.

In addition to many weapons, equipment, IEDs and stolen vehicles recovered over the last 3 weeks, items recovered in the Mother Valley include; 3 x G3 rifles, 9 x Automatic Pump Action Rifles, 7 x Double Barrel Guns, 2 x Locally Made Pistols, 2 x Rocket Propelled Grenade Bombs, 2 x AK 47 Magazine and 1 x G3 Magazine.

Others are 26 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition, 16 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, 72 Pump Action Cartridges , 1 x Chainsaw, 1 x Laptop, 1 x CCTV DVR, 26 x CCTV Cameras. 17 x Baofeng Radios with Batteries and 10 without batteries including their chargers.

Also recovered are, 6 x Handheld IEDs, 26 x android phones, 25 x normal phones, 1 x inverter, 1 x SIM Card Registration Machine, 4 x POS machines, 3 x Motorcycle batteries for igniting IEDs, 2 x Trumpets, 2 x Biafra flags, 20 x ESN certificates, 2 x Dairies containing details of ammunition and food supplies and 2 pairs of Biafra Liberation Army uniforms.

The joint troops also destroyed about 50 tents in the Valley housing the Supreme Headquarters, IPOB/ESN command and control center, Buteuzor’s hideout and residence, offices, their logistics base, temples and shrines used for occultic practices among many other items.

The Force Commander Joint Task Force South East Operation UDO KA, Major General Hassan Taiwo Dada wishes to appreciate the incredible cooperation of sister Services and other security agencies for the success achieved so far.

The Force Commander also enjoins the leaders of all liberated communities to return to their ancestral homes, emplace community efforts to ensure that all criminal elements not from the communities are not allowed to return to desecrate their homelands. The JTF OPUK will continue to provide all security support to such communities within the ambit of the law.

Furthermore all law abiding Ndigbos are enjoined to provide timely and actionable information through OPUK Emergency Line 193 then press Option 2 to help make the South East geopolitical zone a peaceful and conducive environment for socio-economic development to thrive”.

Meanwhile, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu in the news release issued few hours ago also said that: “In a display of gallantry, Nigerian Army troops in conjunction with hybrid force elements, have successfully neutralized 8 Boko Haram (BHT)/ ISWAP terrorists at Ukuba; a notorious terrorists’ enclave in Sambisa forest.

The operation, which took place on Sunday 10 March 2024, witnessed a fierce gun battle that inflicted severe losses on the terrorists’ group, compelling them to retreat and abandon their camp in disarray. A thorough search of the captured camp by the gallant troops led to the recovery of 5 locally fabricated double barrel guns, 2 motorbikes and assorted foodstuff, belonging to the terrorists.

In a separate Clearance operation on the same day in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, troops cleared Dan Birgima, Ungwan Noma, Katoge, and Pauwa Villages. During the operation, troops gunned down 2 insurgents in combat and recovered 3 AK-47 Rifles, 8 Magazines, 57 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition, 3 Baofeng Radio sets, 12 Baofeng Radio Chargers and one Bandolier. The troops also rescued a civilian, who had been in captivity of the insurgents for days. Two Motorbikes and makeshift structures in the insurgents’ camp were also destroyed by the troops.

In the same vein, troops have cleared Dandalla, Madada, Dogon Karfe, Hayi, Gobirawan and Kango Kuyambana villages in Gusau and Maru Local Government Areas of Zamfara state. In the encounter with the insurgents, troops neutralized 2 of them and recovered one AK- 47 rifle, 3 fabricated guns, 2 rounds of Anti- Aircraft ammunition, one Motorbike and 2 Solar panels.

These successful operations demonstrate the commitment of the Nigerian Army in combating the nation’s security challenges to enhance safety and security. We enjoin members of the public to continue to support the Nigerian Army, sister services and other security agencies in the ongoing fight against the nation’s adversaries”.