In the heart of the South-East, fear still lingers on Mondays. Streets that should be bustling with life often fall silent, as residents stay indoors, gripped by anxiety, obeying an enforced sit-at-home culture championed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
But the Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has vowed to change that narrative.
At a press briefing on Thursday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, acknowledged the heavy shadow of fear but assured the nation that security forces were making significant strides in restoring peace and normalcy.
“Who gave the order? IPOB/ESN criminals,” Kangye declared passionately. “Because of what was happening in the South-East, Operation Udo Ka was set up, just like Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East. The past three commanders in the region have worked tirelessly to encourage people to go about their normal business. However, in some areas, residents still stay home out of fear. The commanders are working hard to free the South-East from IPOB/ESN influence.”
The military’s commitment to this cause comes amid fresh global scrutiny. The 2025 Global Terrorism Index ranked Nigeria sixth worldwide, recording 565 terrorism-related deaths in 2024. But Kangye pushed back against this stark portrayal, insisting that reports from the Nigerian military offer a truer reflection of the nation’s security situation.
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“Something is happening in my house; I am the head of the house; I have children, I have a wife, and then Kuma Shi (someone else) is reporting what is happening in my house to me. Which one would be more correct? The one I tell you as the head of the house or the one Kuma Shi is reporting from outside?” he asked, his metaphor underscoring the need for accurate domestic narratives.
Kangye urged the media to play a role in shaping these narratives responsibly. “I’m not countering what they put out there, but as observers, you should be the ones to give the correct version of what is happening in Nigeria,” he said.
Backing up his words with action, Kangye reeled out the military’s achievements between February 27 and March 6, 2025. In that short span, troops neutralized 92 terrorists and arrested 111 suspected others. The operations also saw the apprehension of 18 oil thieves and the rescue of 75 kidnapped hostages.
The fight against oil theft in the South-South region yielded striking results. Troops thwarted theft estimated at a staggering N521,802,360. The breakdown is damning: 452,396 litres of stolen crude oil, 224,175 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, and 1,920 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). Security forces also discovered and destroyed 87 crude oil cooking ovens, 28 dugout pits, 23 boats, 33 storage tanks, 61 drums, and 47 illegal refining sites.
In addition, troops seized a remarkable arsenal of weapons and ammunition: 58 AK-47 rifles, 21 locally fabricated guns, 26 Dane guns, seven pump-action guns, four PKT guns, two GPMGs, one QJC W85 gun, one HK 21 gun, one M60 MG, 11 RPG bombs, two RPG tubes, and one fabricated 60mm mortar. They also recovered 2,278 rounds of assorted 7.62mm ammunition, 26 live cartridges, 64 rounds of 9mm ammo, 18 magazines, and other arms.
As the military intensifies its fight against insurgency and criminality, the numbers tell a story of progress. But behind those numbers lie real lives. People who yearn for a day when Mondays no longer evoke fear but represent the start of a week full of promise.
For now, the DHQ remains resolute: the South-East will be free.
Source: Ripples
