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By Chidi Okafor
… Deploy massive air bombardment, as troops raid hideouts
…Neutralize many hoodlums, defuse 39 IEDs
In a massive and decisive multi-agency operation, Nigerian security forces have unleashed a devastating assault on the notorious terror camp in the Ezioha forest, whose activities cut across Mbaitoli and Njaba Local Government Areas of Imo State.
CrimeFacts News had reported in May this year, that fear has become the currency of survival in Ezioha and its neighboring communities as gunmen, operating with chilling impunity, continue to unleash a reign of terror – abducting, killing, and imposing illegal taxes on helpless residents.
Severe bombandments
The operation led to the neutralization of scores of insurgents and the complete destruction of their stronghold.
The ongoing operation which has lasted five days, combines heavy aerial firepower with a relentless ground offensive, leading to the successful dismantling of the hoodlums’ fortified positions, including their strongest outposts known as Tango 1, Tango 2, and Tango 9.
Intelligence reports confirmed that the camp, which is vast, precarious, and heavily booby-trapped with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), served as a major operational base for all shades of criminal elements terrorizing the South-East region.
The operation began with precise aerial bombardments by the Nigerian Air Force, which softened the targets and disrupted the activities of the gunmen.
This was followed by a massive ground invasion involving over 200 combat-ready operatives drawn from the Army, Navy, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Many significant IED threats were neutralized as the ground troops, using armoured payloaders and heavy-duty anti-mine equipment, expertly located, defused, and excavated over 39 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by the hoodlums along access routes to prevent such an invasion.
The security forces also displayed tactical superiority by deactivating and recovering over 16 solar-powered CCTV cameras the gunmen had mounted on trees and strategic locations for surveillance and early warning.
Our reporters gathered that a high-capacity surveillance drone was also deployed to track the movement of hoodlums fleeing the decimated camp, preventing them from regrouping.
Among the many insurgents neutralized in the operation was the secretary to the notorious Commander of the camp (B44). Several others eliminated in the operation are yet to be identified as the operation is still ongoing.
The successful operation has sparked widespread jubilation in neighbouring communities, with residents expressing relief after years of living in fear and dread.
However, authorities have issued a stern warning to nearby communities to the operation zone, urging them not to offer refuge to the fleeing gunmen but to report any suspicious persons to security agencies immediately.
