Troops nab two over attempted NIPSS attack as security probe deepens

Troops of Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP) have arrested two suspected members of an armed militia believed to be linked to the recent attempted attack on the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, in what security sources described as a major breakthrough in ongoing investigations.

According to security sources who spoke to Zagazola Makama, the suspects were apprehended at about 3:30 p.m. on July 4 during an intelligence-led operation by troops of Sector 6 at the Trade Centre area of Jos South.

One of the suspects was identified as Mr. Aboi, while the identity of the second suspect has not been officially disclosed as investigations continue.

The sources said the duo is being interrogated over their alleged involvement in the failed attack on the NIPSS facility, with investigators seeking actionable intelligence that could lead to the arrest of other members of the suspected criminal network.

“The suspects are being exploited for further intelligence that could lead to the arrest of other members of the group involved in the attack,” one of the security sources told Zagazola Makama.

The arrests come days after troops repelled an attempted attack on the strategic national institution on July 2, engaging suspected armed assailants in a gun battle that left one attacker dead while others escaped into nearby rocky terrain.

During the operation, troops recovered a service rifle bearing registration number CO-3175, which military authorities said had earlier been stolen from a soldier killed during an attack on troops at the Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Vom, on April 11.

The recovery of the weapon prompted security agencies to broaden investigations into possible links between recent attacks targeting security personnel operating within the Kuru-Vom axis.

Earlier, Zagazola Makama had reported that the slain attacker was suspected to be a member of an armed Berom militia operating in the area. However, the report was challenged by the Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM).

The association’s president, Barrister Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, rejected claims that the Berom ethnic community operated any militia group, arguing that the identity and ethnicity of the deceased attacker had not been independently established. He urged security agencies and journalists to rely strictly on verified information when reporting security incidents.

In a follow-up report, the deceased attacker had been identified by local residents, as well as multiple security and community sources, as Peter, a Berom resident of the Trade Centre area. The report also cited a 17-second WhatsApp video in which an individual identified the deceased as someone from the locality.

Security sources said the latest arrests in the same Trade Centre axis where the slain suspect was reportedly traced have strengthened ongoing efforts to unravel the structure and membership of the group allegedly responsible for the attacks.

The sources, however, stressed that investigations remain ongoing and that the suspects will be accorded due process while intelligence gathering continues.

Military authorities are yet to issue an official statement identifying the suspects or announcing any formal charges.