Army Says Troops Destroy Suspected Bomb Factory, Reopen Abandoned Road in Imo

The Nigerian Army says its troops have destroyed a suspected bomb-making facility in Imo State and reopened a strategic road that had remained abandoned for more than three years because of repeated attacks by gunmen.

The military said the operation was carried out by troops deployed under Operation UDO KA, as part of the broader Operation Eastern Sanity, which targets armed groups and criminal hideouts across communities in the region.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 82 Division, Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, said troops conducted coordinated clearance operations in several parts of the state, particularly the Orsu–Eketutu Mother Valley and the Orsu–Ihiteukwa areas.

According to the Army, the operations were aimed at removing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) allegedly planted by gunmen and restoring security conditions to enable displaced residents to return to their homes after years of violence.

Ayeni said that on March 6, troops of the 34 Artillery Brigade, working alongside personnel from the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Department of State Services, Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, carried out a joint clearance operation along the Lilu–Eketutu Road.

The road, described by the Army as a critical route for surrounding communities, had reportedly been deserted for more than three years due to frequent attacks and threats attributed to fighters linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network.

During the operation, soldiers discovered several explosive devices planted along the route. Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialists later disconnected and recovered the devices, allowing safe access to the road.

In a separate operation carried out on March 11 in the Orsu–Ihiteukwa area, the Army said troops continued clearance activities to remove suspected explosives along major routes in the community. The military said multiple IEDs detonated along the troops’ path as they advanced, but the soldiers continued the operation.

According to the statement, troops later discovered what the Army described as an IED-making factory allegedly linked to IPOB/ESN fighters. The facility was searched and several items were recovered, including Biafran flags and insignia, rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, pipes used for priming IEDs, pistol magazines loaded with ammunition, double-barrel guns, CCTV cameras, electrical wires and other materials believed to have been used in assembling explosive devices.

The Army said explosive disposal teams also uncovered additional IEDs concealed within the area, which were later disconnected, recovered and destroyed safely.

Military authorities said the operations are part of ongoing efforts to dismantle armed camps, remove explosives from public routes and restore normal activities in communities affected by insecurity in the South-East.