Troops of Sector 5 of Operation UDO KA, in a coordinated joint operation with operatives of the 63 Brigade and the Department of State Services (DSS), have intercepted a truck transporting over 164,000 live cartridges (ammunition) allegedly destined for the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
The operation, which was carried out on May 29, along the Asaba–Onitsha expressway, followed credible intelligence that led to the arrest of a suspected arms courier, Mr. Emeka Omenife. According to security sources, Omenife was promptly handed over to the DSS for interrogation.
During questioning, Omenife reportedly confessed to being part of a transnational syndicate responsible for smuggling ammunition from Ghana into Nigeria for IPOB/ESN operatives. His confession led to a follow-up operation the next day, May 30, during which his alleged accomplice, Mr. Uchenna Obiora, was apprehended at the Onitsha–Awka tollgate while awaiting delivery of the ammunition.
Troops subsequently intercepted a truck linked to the syndicate and moved it to the Onitsha Cantonment for a thorough inspection. A search of the vehicle uncovered 164,650 live cartridges concealed in four hidden compartments within the cargo bed of the truck. Intelligence sources confirmed that the cartridges were believed to have originated from Ghana, with Onitsha as their final destination.
Further investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend other members of the arms-smuggling network.
Security officials also revealed that Omenife had previously been arrested on January 22, 2025, by troops and operatives from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) at his residence in Onitsha Housing Estate. During that earlier operation, he attempted to flee and was shot in the buttocks before being taken to the 302 Army Regiment Medical Services for treatment. He was later transferred to the Anambra State Police Criminal Investigation Department, Annex Akwuzu, for prosecution.
His re-arrest in May raises concerns that he may have resumed arms trafficking following his release under circumstances that remain unclear.