JUST IN: After ‘Gentle de Yahoo’, Nigerian Army kills another Deadly IPOB Commander

Troops of the Nigerian Army have intensified their onslaught against criminal networks and insurgents across the country, recording significant breakthroughs in a string of coordinated operations carried out between October 8 and 11, 2025.

According to a Statement published by the Army on Sunday, at least 26 terrorists and criminal elements were neutralised, 22 suspects arrested, and several kidnapped victims rescued during the nationwide operations that covered the South East, North East, North West, North Central, and South-South regions.

In the South East, troops of Sector 2, Operation UDO KA, tracked and eliminated a deadly commander of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), identified as Alhaji, in Ezza-Eyimaggu, Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Military intelligence revealed that the wanted militant was gunned down after attempting to disarm a soldier during his arrest. His death comes barely weeks after troops neutralised another top IPOB commander known as Gentle de Yahoo, marking yet another major blow to the group’s operational structure in the region.

In a related operation, troops of the 34 Artillery Brigade, operating under the same formation, uncovered and destroyed an IPOB/ESN shrine in Mbaotoli Local Government Area of Imo State. The shrine, according to field reports, was used for indoctrination, criminal planning, and the coordination of attacks on security personnel and residents.

Recovered from the site were assorted charms, communication gadgets, and materials used for illegal propaganda and recruitment. The troops also dismantled several camps believed to have served as training and meeting points for the secessionist group.

The Army confirmed that similar operations were simultaneously conducted across other regions of the country, yielding massive recoveries of arms, ammunition, and logistics items.