Nigerian Army and IPOB Clash Over Authenticity of Recovered IEDs in Imo Operation
The Nigerian Army and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are locked in a heated dispute over the authenticity of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) recovered during a recent security operation in Imo State. This confrontation has escalated into a war of words, with both sides accusing each other of manipulation and misinformation.
Army Invites Media for Verification Tour to Dispel Propaganda
In response to IPOB's allegations, the Nigerian Army has extended an invitation to media outlets and Civil Society Organisations for a verification tour of Orsu-Eketutu Mother Valley and Orsu-Ihiteukwa in Imo State. This initiative aims to counter what the army describes as "propaganda" by IPOB, which claimed that images released by the military on March 12, 2026, showing recovered IEDs from these locations, were fake and manipulated.
Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 82 Division, stated that the geolocation on the pictures was deliberately blurred for operational security reasons, not for any ulterior motives as alleged by IPOB sympathizers on social media. He emphasized that the devices depicted were indeed recovered during the ongoing Operation Eastern Sanity, conducted simultaneously in Imo and Anambra States.
IPOB Accuses Army of Fabricating Evidence
IPOB, through its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, has dismissed the army's claims as "fake." The group accused the military of manipulating the recovery of devices manufactured in other locations, such as Lagos, and attributing them to communities in Imo State. This accusation has fueled tensions and raised questions about the transparency of the security operations in the region.
Reopening of Lilu-Eketutu Road After Three Years of Closure
In a related development, a joint troop of Operation Udoka, comprising personnel from the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), reopened the Lilu-Eketutu Road in Orsu Local Council Area over the weekend. This road had been shut for three years due to increased insecurity, forcing residents to flee or face violence from hoodlums occupying their homes and farmlands.
The army reported that operations in the Orsu–Eketutu Mother Valley and Orsu–Ihiteukwa areas are part of ongoing efforts to eliminate IEDs planted by criminal elements. These actions are intended to facilitate the safe return of residents who were displaced by the activities of unknown gunmen and IPOB. Lieutenant Colonel Ayeni highlighted that Operation Udoka continues to sustain aggressive joint clearance operations in parts of Imo State and its environs, as part of the broader Eastern Sanity operation aimed at dismantling criminal enclaves and restoring normalcy to affected communities.
This ongoing conflict underscores the complex security challenges in southeastern Nigeria, where allegations of misinformation and propaganda further complicate efforts to achieve peace and stability.
