Two soldiers were killed as gunmen launched an attack on a military checkpoint in the early hours of Wednesday, in Ekenobizi, a border area between Abia and Imo states, located in Umuopara within Umuahia South Local Government Area.
This ambush prompted an immediate response from the Joint Task Force South East, known as Operation Udoka.
The attack was confirmed in a statement by the Joint Task Force, signed by Lt. Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, who attributed the assault to the Eastern Security Network (the armed wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra.
According to the statement, the group carried out a well-coordinated offensive targeting the troops stationed along the Umuahia-Owerri Road in Abia State.
“At the early hours of today (November 13, 2024), troops of the Joint Task Force South East Operation UDOKA deployed at a checkpoint along Umuahia-Owerri Road in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State came under attack carried out by the irredentist group of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN),” the statement read.
The Joint Task Force noted that their troops succeeded in repelling the attackers, forcing them to retreat in disarray.
In their hasty withdrawal, the gunmen abandoned two vehicles—a Toyota Sienna and a Lexus Jeep—suggesting they may have been injured in the crossfire. Unfortunately, two soldiers lost their lives in the line of duty during this confrontation.
In a call for public assistance, the Joint Task Force urged residents to come forward with any valuable information that could aid in capturing the attackers and bringing them to justice.
“The Joint Task Force South East Operation UDOKA is calling and appealing to the good people of the South East, especially residents of Abia State, with relevant, reliable and credible information that could help in apprehending the fleeing members of the irredentist group who committed this heinous crime and also help to annihilate the criminals in the region,” the statement continued.
Reaffirming its commitment to security, the task force assured that Operation Udoka remains steadfast in its constitutional role of safeguarding lives and property across the region.
