A soldier attached to Operation Udoka has been reportedly killed by suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) after leaving his duty post without authorization to attend a party in Anambra State.
The incident occurred on the evening of Saturday, May 18, 2025, near the Forward Operating Base in Uli. According to security sources, the soldier had attended a party, reportedly a strippers’ event titled “Ladies’ Jamboree,” while still dressed in his military camouflage uniform.
A source familiar with the matter stated that the soldier’s absence was noticed during a tactical operation. “It was during the operation that his absence was discovered.
He was later found to have left the base without permission to attend a party at a nearby hotel.
While there, he was reportedly accosted and fatally shot by suspected IPOB/ESN operatives,” the source said.
Troops later recovered the soldier’s body, along with that of a baby, at the scene.
His service weapon was also retrieved and is currently in the custody of the military.
Operation Udoka is a Defence Headquarters-led initiative targeting insurgent and separatist activities in the region.
Attempts to reach the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, for comments were unsuccessful as his phone was switched off and messages sent to him remained unanswered at the time of filing this report.
The incident adds to a growing number of targeted attacks against security personnel in the South-East, where IPOB and its security arm, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), have been accused of carrying out violent actions against state forces.