The war on insecurity was taken a notch higher Wednesday as the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has commenced bombardment of the Orlu forest, Imo State in fierce airstrikes in a bid to locate and engage operatives of the Eastern Security Network, ESN accused of killing soldiers and causing mayhem in the area.
Sources say a number of ESN members have been killed and market places destroyed during the attack on Thursday, 18th February 2021.
The onslaught may not be unrelated to the information that members of ESN, a regional security force and a paramilitary wing of the IPOB, are training in the forest.
Orlu, the second largest city after Owerri, the State capital, has suffered series of violence following clashes between soldiers and men believed to be members of IPOB/ESN.
Earlier in January, combat aircraft of the Nigerian military combed the tense Orlu communities in a bid to douse the tension.
However, IPOB members got wind of the operation and ambushed the security team on patrol.
Following the operation, Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB threatened to deal with members of the Nigeria security forces sent to search for its proscribed members.
