Soldiers from the 14 Brigade, part of Operation Eastern Sanity II, successfully freed kidnapping victims and seized a hijacked vehicle in Abia State. Captain Mazinho Attah, the Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, confirmed that the operation also led to the detention of alleged IPOB/ESN members.
While patrolling the Aba–Port Harcourt Expressway near Asa, personnel from the 144 Battalion stopped a truck carrying cement. The driver, Okoi Essien, had mistakenly assisted four individuals posing as travelers. These attackers shot him, left him in the woods, and seized two other passengers while attempting to drive the vehicle toward Rivers State. The criminals retreated into the forest upon encountering the military checkpoint, leaving behind a firearm and their captives, 19-year-old Endurance Udeme Mark and 24-year-old Godswill Ubi Okoi.
In a separate mission, a joint task force comprising the 14 Brigade Garrison and other security units searched the Ihechiowa community in Arochukwu. This raid resulted in the capture of 56-year-old James Uchechukwu Amah and 42-year-old Kalu Nnachi, both suspected of ties to IPOB/ESN. Authorities confiscated a pump-action shotgun, ammunition, and various blades during the arrest. One suspect required medical care for a foot injury sustained during his failed flight, and both are now held for further questioning.
