Troops of Sector 5 of Operation UDO KA, in a coordinated joint operation with personnel of the 63 Brigade and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), have intercepted a truck carrying over 164,000 live cartridges suspected to be destined for the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
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According to Zagazola Makama, the operation was executed following credible intelligence, which led to the arrest of a suspected arms courier, Mr Emeka Omenife, along the Asaba–Onitsha expressway on May 29, 2025.
“Upon interception, the vehicle was moved to Onitsha Cantonment, where a thorough search revealed a total of 164,650 live cartridges hidden in four constructed compartments within the cargo bed of the truck,” a security source told Zagazola.
The cartridges, believed to have been smuggled from Ghana, were reportedly intended for delivery in Onitsha, where they were to be distributed to operatives linked to IPOB/ESN.
Omenife was immediately handed over to the DSS for interrogation. During questioning, he allegedly confessed to being part of a transnational arms smuggling syndicate supplying ammunition to the separatist group.
Following his confession, troops arrested an accomplice, Mr Uchenna Obiora, at the Onitsha–Awka tollgate on May 30, 2025, while he was reportedly awaiting the ammunition delivery. This arrest led to the successful interception and search of the truck loaded with the concealed ammunition.
Further investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend other members of the smuggling syndicate and their collaborators.
In a startling development, Zagazola also confirmed that Omenife had previously been arrested on January 22, 2025, by troops and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) tracking team at his residence in Onitsha Housing Estate.
During that January operation, Omenife reportedly attempted to flee and was shot in the buttocks before being evacuated to the 302 Army Regiment Medical Services for treatment. He was later handed over to the Anambra State Police Criminal Investigation Department, Annex Akwuzu, for prosecution.
However, his re-arrest in May suggests a return to the same criminal network following his release under unexplained circumstances, raising questions about the handling of his previous case.
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