Army Declares Most Wanted Terrorist, Offers ₦30 Million Reward

The Nigerian Army has declared Ifeanyi Eze, a notorious terror kingpin, wanted.

Eze, also known as Gentle De Yahoo, is from Imo State in South-east Nigeria.

He was previously said to be “captured” by the military but showed up again in January.

A senior military officer confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday that the army has issued a wanted notice for him.

₦30 Million Reward

The wanted notice includes a photo of Eze and was shared by the Joint Task Force in the South-east, known as Operation Udo Ka.

The notice also has the logos of the Nigerian Army and Udo Ka.

Operation Udo Ka is a military-led team in the South-east focused on wiping out crime and armed groups, especially those linked to the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

“A reward of ₦30,000,000 awaits anyone who provides credible information leading to the capture of Gentle De Yahoo, who is threatening peace in the South-east,” the notice states.

The army has shared phone numbers for Nigerians to contact security agencies with any credible information.

People can provide information anonymously if they wish, according to the notice.

Who is Gentle De Yahoo?

Eze claims to be a Biafran agitator and is linked to several violent attacks in the Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State, including the murder of three of his fighters.

He is the commander of the Biafra Liberation Army in Okigwe, a group set up by Simon Ekpa, a controversial Biafra activist and leader of Autopilot, a faction of IPOB.

IPOB is pushing for an independent Biafra state to be formed from the South-east and parts of South-south Nigeria.

Ekpa was jailed last year in Finland for terrorism.

In September, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Eze and his men were feared dead after Nigerian troops attacked their hideout in Aku-Ihube, a community in Okigwe Local Government Area.

'Initial Capture'

Earlier, this newspaper reported that the Defence Headquarters announced that troops of Operation Udo Ka “captured” Eze during an operation between 8 and 13 October 2025.

But on 28 January this year, a video went viral showing Eze saying he was back from an undisclosed location and threatening those he claimed had betrayed him.

In the video viewed by PREMIUM TIMES, Eze celebrated his survival and hinted that he had been in Akwa Ibom State, where he claimed to have received medical care after he and his militants were poisoned.

'It Could Be AI, but We’ll Investigate'

At a press briefing in late January, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Michael Onoja, mentioned that the video might have been created using AI.

“What I can say is that in this current time of AI, it is possible to create anything just to cause panic in society,” Major General Onoja said.

“Regardless, we will work with security agencies to find out if Mr Eze is truly back,” he added.

He promised that if the military confirms Eze's return, they will act quickly to stop him and his group from harming more people.