By Kingsley Omonobi
ABUJA — The Nigerian Army has accused actors sympathetic to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of orchestrating a social media campaign aimed at undermining recent military successes in the South-East by diverting attention from ongoing operations and attacking the ethnicity of a military spokesperson.
The allegation was contained in a statement issued by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations at the Headquarters of Operation Udo Ka (OPUK) and the 82 Division Nigerian Army, Lt. Col. Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni.
According to the Army, recent online posts disputing the authenticity of images showing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) recovered by troops were part of a coordinated propaganda effort designed to cast doubt on security operations in the region.
The military said that rather than focus on the operational successes recorded by troops, some social media users had attempted to stir ethnic sentiments by highlighting the background of the Army spokesperson who issued the operational update.
The statement described the development as a deliberate distraction intended to erode public confidence in security operations and downplay progress recorded against armed groups linked to IPOB and its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network.
The controversy followed the release of images on March 12, 2026, showing IEDs allegedly recovered by troops during Operation Eastern Sanity, an ongoing offensive targeting insurgent camps in the Orsu axis of Imo and Anambra states.
Some social media posts had questioned the authenticity of the photographs, claiming the devices were not recovered in the South-East and suggesting that the images originated from other parts of the country.
However, the Army dismissed the claims as misinformation, explaining that the geolocation details on the images were intentionally blurred as a routine operational security measure.
“The devices in the images released were recovered during the ongoing Operation Eastern Sanity conducted simultaneously in Imo and Anambra states, as stated in the media releases on this operation. However, the geolocation on the pictures was blurred for operational security reasons and not for any ulterior motives,” the statement said.
The Army further alleged that certain individuals sympathetic to IPOB manipulated metadata and geolocation markers on the released photographs in an attempt to falsely suggest that the recoveries were made in Lagos State and Oyo State rather than in the South-East.
According to the military, troops in recent weeks have dismantled several camps, hideouts and IED-making facilities linked to IPOB and the Eastern Security Network in the Orsu–Eketutu “Mother Valley” general area spanning parts of Imo and Anambra states.
To counter the claims and enhance transparency, the Army said it had invited media organisations, civil society groups and independent observers to undertake a verification tour of the Orsu–Eketutu Mother Valley and Orsu–Ihiteukwa operational areas.
It added that interested media executives, defence correspondents and civil society representatives could liaise with the Army Public Relations Department at the Headquarters of the 82 Division to arrange an inspection of the operational areas and view recovered IED-making materials in a controlled environment that would not compromise ongoing operations.
Reaffirming its institutional character, the Army stressed that the Nigerian military remains a professional and multi-ethnic organisation whose personnel are deployed across the country regardless of their state of origin.
“The Nigerian Army is, and remains, an apolitical, professional and multi-ethnic institution. Personnel are deployed across the country irrespective of state of origin in service to the nation,” the statement added.
The Army also urged Nigerians to exercise caution when sharing unverified information online, warning that misinformation, ethnic profiling and propaganda could undermine security efforts in a sensitive operational environment.
It added that the original images from the operation area, the blurred versions published on official platforms and what it described as manipulated copies circulated online had been made available for public scrutiny.
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