Reported By Mary Udezue | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
In a significant development in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to clamp down on armed extremist activity in the southeast, the Enugu State Police Command has arrested a suspected operative of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). The suspect, identified as 26-year-old Chukwujekwu Ugwu, also known by the alias “Jekwu,” was taken into custody in the early hours of February 3, 2026.
According to police sources, operatives from the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit acted on credible intelligence pointing to Ugwu’s location in Akwuke, a suburb within the Awkunanaw area of Enugu State. Security agents reportedly raided a popular beer parlour in the community at about 12:45 a.m., where Ugwu was found. Upon sighting the officers, he attempted to flee but was intercepted and arrested without reported resistance.
Law enforcement described Ugwu as a “notorious” member of the outlawed IPOB/ESN network, alleged to have been involved in a series of violent attacks targeting police patrol teams. According to official accounts, the suspect and his associates were linked to assaults on Distress Response Squad (DRS) units in Enugu, including incidents on Ziks Avenue in the Uwani district in late December 2025 and along Agbani Road in mid-January 2026.
The arrests underscore the Nigerian police’s intensified focus on dismantling the operational capabilities of separatist-linked armed groups in the country’s southeast, where IPOB/ESN activities have been associated with intermittent violence, clashes with security forces and disruptions of law and order. These actions form part of a broader security strategy involving targeted raids and intelligence-driven interventions aimed at curbing militancy and associated criminality in the region.
While Ugwu has been apprehended, police officials acknowledged that several of his alleged cohorts remain at large. Ongoing investigations were reported to be underway to track and apprehend additional members of the network and to recover weapons believed to have been used in prior attacks on security personnel. Authorities have not yet publicly disclosed any formal charges or court proceedings against the suspect, and details of the next legal steps remain subject to official confirmation as the case progresses.
The arrest in Akwuke reflects sustained enforcement actions by Nigerian security agencies targeting groups designated as unlawful under national anti-terrorism legislation. The Nigerian government proscribes IPOB and ESN, citing their involvement in violent agitation and attacks on state security apparatuses, while the group’s supporters assert political objectives separate from these allegations.
This development follows a pattern of heightened security operations across the southeast aimed at degrading militia networks, preventing further violence and enhancing safety for residents and law enforcement in urban and peri-urban districts of Enugu and adjoining states.
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