Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued three kidnap victims and arrested a suspected member of the Indigenous People of Biafra during an operation in the forests of Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The operation, conducted under Operation UDO KA by troops of the 185 Battalion, began on October 1 and continued into the early hours of October 2, 2026.
The military said the operation followed credible intelligence that gunmen had taken abducted persons into a forest around the Osakwa general area of Ihiala.
The troops reportedly stormed the gunmen’s waterlogged hideout after crossing a river and engaged the suspects in a gun battle.
According to the Army, several of the gunmen escaped with gunshot wounds, while one suspect, identified as Sunday Obi, was arrested.
The military said Obi confessed to being a member of IPOB and was assisting troops in efforts to locate other fleeing suspects believed to be hiding in forests around Ihiala and Ogbaru.
The operation also led to the dismantling of what the Army described as an IPOB-linked criminal camp.
Items recovered from the hideout included two AK-47 rifles, three pump-action guns, three Dane guns, ammunition and cartridges, as well as materials suspected to be components of improvised explosive devices.
The three rescued victims are currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital, according to the military.
The Army said operations were continuing in the area as troops intensified efforts to track down the fleeing suspects.
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