Nigerian Army Captures Notorious IPOB Commander Gentle de Yahoo

The Nigerian Army has announced a major breakthrough in its counter-insurgency operations with the capture of a notorious commander of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). The suspect, identified as Ifeanyi Eze Okorienta and popularly known as Gentle de Yahoo, was arrested in Imo State.

According to an official military statement, troops of the 34 Artillery Brigade, in a joint operation with sister security agencies, stormed the fugitive’s hideout in Aku-Ihube, Okigwe Local Government Area. The raid not only ended in his capture but also uncovered a disturbing stockpile of arms and equipment. Items recovered include an English pistol, 120 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 25 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, a cartridge, six mobile phones, military and police uniforms, as well as a German flag believed to symbolize foreign ties or ideological influence.

Troops also discovered a workshop used for dismantling stolen vehicles, pointing to an elaborate criminal enterprise linked to financing militant operations. Ten motorcycles found at the location were destroyed.

But the sweep in Imo was only part of a wider offensive. Across Adamawa, Katsina, and Kogi States, coordinated missions led to the rescue of 11 kidnap victims. Five hostages were freed in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa, another five in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina, while two victims were rescued in Lokoja, Kogi State.

The operations also recorded lethal encounters. In Katsina, troops neutralised two terrorists and seized an AK-47 rifle, ammunition, and a motorcycle. In Benue, soldiers killed a violent extremist, recovering charms and a mobile phone believed to be used in coordinating attacks. Eleven other suspects linked to armed robbery, gunrunning, and violent extremism were rounded up across Benue, Kogi, and Kaduna States.

Elsewhere in Plateau State, troops intercepted 40 rustled cattle, returning them to their rightful owners in what locals hailed as a rare win against incessant rural banditry.

The Army, in its briefing, attributed the string of successes to sustained synergy with sister services and security agencies. It described the operations as proof of its determination to dismantle criminal networks threatening Nigeria’s peace.

For communities in the South-East and across the Middle Belt, the capture of Gentle de Yahoo will be seen as a symbolic victory. But analysts warn that IPOB’s scattered cells and Nigeria’s wider insecurity challenge mean the fight is far from over.