In a chilling twist that has stunned both military circles and the public, a Nigerian Army soldier attached to Operation Udoka was fatally shot by suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) after allegedly sneaking out of his duty post to attend a strippers’ party in Anambra State.
The incident occurred on the night of Saturday, May 18, 2025, near the Forward Operating Base in Uli. According to military sources, the soldier, whose identity has not been officially disclosed, abandoned his post without authorization to attend an event tagged “Ladies’ Jamboree” — a party reportedly involving exotic dancers — while still dressed in his full camouflage uniform.
“It was during a tactical operation that it was discovered the soldier was missing,” a security source revealed. “He was later traced to a nearby hotel where the party was being held. That’s where he was ambushed and shot dead by suspected IPOB/ESN fighters.”
Tragically, the soldier’s lifeless body was recovered from the scene alongside that of a baby, whose presence and fate remain unclear. His military-issued weapon was also retrieved and is currently in army custody.
Operation Udoka is a coordinated mission led by the Defence Headquarters to combat insecurity in the South-East. However, efforts to get an official comment from the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, were unsuccessful, as his phone remained switched off and messages went unanswered at the time of filing this report.
The killing adds to a growing list of targeted attacks on security personnel in the South-East, where IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), have been accused of launching increasingly violent offensives against state forces.
The controversial nature of the soldier’s outing — abandoning duty for a risqué party in uniform — is likely to fuel debate within the military and the public over discipline, operational readiness, and the security risks personnel face both on and off duty.
