A Nigerian Army soldier deployed under Operation Udoka has been killed by suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) after leaving his duty post to attend a party in Anambra State.
The incident occurred on the evening of Saturday, May 18, 2025, at the Forward Operating Base in Uli.
The soldier reportedly attended a strippers’ party tagged “Ladies’ Jamboree” while dressed in military camouflage uniform.
A security source said the soldier’s absence was discovered during a tactical operation. “It was during the operation that it became clear he was missing. Investigations revealed he had left the base without permission to attend a strippers’ party at a nearby hotel. While there, he was confronted and shot dead by suspected IPOB/ESN fighters,” the source said.
The soldier’s body, along with that of a baby, was later recovered at the scene. His service weapon has been secured by the military.
Operation Udoka is coordinated by the Defence Headquarters. Attempts to reach the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, were unsuccessful, as his phone was switched off and he had not responded to messages at the time of this report.
The killing adds to a growing list of targeted attacks on security personnel in the South-East, where IPOB and its armed wing, ESN, have been linked to violent operations against government forces.
