Troops of the 82 Division Garrison under Sector 1 of Operation Udoka, working alongside operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Enugu State Command, have uncovered a suspected arms hideout and recovered a large cache of weapons and ammunition in Enugu State.
The operation was conducted under Operation Eastern Sanity II, a security initiative designed to strengthen peace and stability across the South-East region.
Confirming the development on Wednesday, the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, said the operation was carried out following credible intelligence obtained from suspects previously arrested for their alleged links to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
According to Ayeni, security operatives launched a follow-up operation on June 9, 2026, in Gariki, located in Enugu South Local Government Area, where they discovered a concealed weapons storage facility.
He explained that the hideout was cleverly concealed inside a zinc structure designed to appear as a piggery, a tactic believed to have been used to evade detection by security agencies.
Ayeni disclosed that a thorough search of the facility led to the recovery of a significant quantity of weapons and ammunition.
Items recovered during the operation include general-purpose machine guns, an RPG-7 launcher tube, AK-47 rifles, hand grenades, a tear gas launcher with cartridges, several AK-47 magazines, 270 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, and 478 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition.
The army spokesperson further revealed that suspects arrested in connection with the operation, alongside the recovered weapons, have been handed over to the DSS Enugu State Command for further investigation and possible prosecution.
He described the successful operation as evidence of effective collaboration between security agencies and a demonstration of ongoing efforts to combat security threats in the South-East.
Ayeni added that the operation reflects the determination of Operation Udoka to sustain pressure on criminal elements and groups involved in activities that threaten public safety, peace, and stability in the region.
Troops, DSS Uncover Suspected IPOB Arms Hideout, Recover Weapons in Enugu
