The Nigerian Army has challenged allegations circulating on social media that images of recovered Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Imo State were fabricated, inviting media organisations and civil society groups to undertake an independent verification tour of the operation areas.
In a statement on Sunday, the Headquarters of Operation UDO KA and the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army said the viral claims, allegedly propagated by sympathisers of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), were false and aimed at discrediting ongoing security operations in the South-East.
The Army explained that the IEDs displayed in images released on March 12 were recovered during Operation Eastern Sanity, conducted simultaneously in Imo and Anambra states.
According to the military, the devices were recovered from the Orsu-Eketutu Mother Valley and Orsu–Ihiteukwa areas of Imo State. It added that the geolocation details in the photographs were deliberately blurred for operational security reasons, dismissing claims that the images were manipulated or taken elsewhere.
The Army said its troops had successfully dismantled several camps, hideouts and IED-making factories belonging to IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in the Mother Valley general area spanning the two states. It alleged that the separatist group had resorted to spreading misinformation and ethnic narratives after suffering major operational setbacks.
To counter what it described as propaganda, the Army invited media executives, journalists, civil society organisations and concerned individuals to contact the Public Relations unit of the 82 Division to arrange a guided tour of the operational areas and inspect recovered explosive materials without compromising ongoing security efforts.
The military also urged Nigerians and social media users to verify information through official channels before sharing it, stressing that the Nigerian Army remains an apolitical and multi-ethnic institution committed to national unity and the security of all citizens.
