Troops of the Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, have raided a kidnap camp in Anambra State, rescuing three victims and recovering a cache of weapons, ammunition and materials suspected to be intended for the fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices.
The operation was carried out by troops of 185 Battalion in collaboration with the Anambra Vigilante Group in Ihiala and Ogbaru Local Government Areas of the state.
According to a statement issued by the Nigerian Army, the operation followed the abduction of three people around the Osakwa General Area in Ihiala Local Government Area.
The troops, working with members of the Anambra Vigilante Group, launched a rescue operation and successfully recovered the three kidnapped victims.
The Army said that on October 1, 2026, the troops also conducted a snap operation during which they arrested one of the suspected kidnappers, identified as Sunday Obi.
It said Obi subsequently provided information that led security personnel to the location of the group’s camp at Abator in Ogbaru Local Government Area, across the Isieke waterside.
Acting on the intelligence, the combined troops moved into the area, using canoes to cross the waterways and gain access to the hideout.
The Army said the troops engaged the occupants of the camp with overwhelming firepower upon reaching the location, forcing them to flee with gunshot wounds.
The operation resulted in the recovery of two AK-47 rifles with magazines, three pump-action guns and three locally fabricated Dane guns.
The troops also recovered 62 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, 149 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition and two cartridges.
Materials suspected to be intended for the fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices were also recovered from the hideout.
Other items recovered included a solar generator, power bank, car battery, two motorcycle batteries, two solar panels and two mobile phones.
The Nigerian Army said the recovery provided further insight into the logistical infrastructure allegedly sustaining terrorist and kidnapping activities in the area and generated additional intelligence for ongoing operations against the network.
The Army said Operation UDO KA would continue coordinated kinetic and intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves, disrupting their logistics and supply chains and denying criminal groups safe havens across the South East.
It added that follow-up operations were underway to apprehend the fleeing suspects, their alleged collaborators, logistics suppliers and other facilitators.
The Nigerian Army further said its troops would continue working with other security agencies and local stakeholders to strengthen security and protect communities across the region.