Troops Neutralise Gunrunner, Armed Militia, Recover Weapons in Plateau
Troops of 3 Division/Joint Task Force Operation ENDURING PEACE(OPEP) have intensified their crackdown on criminal networks in Plateau State, neutralising a notorious gunrunner and an armed militia in separate operations that also led to the recovery of weapons and ammunition.
Security sources confirmed that the operations, conducted between September 4 and 6, were part of renewed efforts to dismantle the supply chains and armed groups fuelling insecurity in the North-Central region.
On September 4, troops apprehended a militia suspect at Kaskra in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area. He was found in possession of an AK-47 rifle and 11 rounds of 7.62 mm (Special) ammunition. During interrogation, the suspect confessed to participating in several criminal activities in the area and volunteered to lead troops to the hideout of his cohorts to recover more weapons.
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However, while the search was ongoing on September 5, the suspect made a desperate attempt to snatch a soldier’s rifle in a bid to escape. He was swiftly overpowered and neutralised. His remains were deposited at a hospital morgue, while follow-up operations are ongoing to apprehend his accomplices.
In a related development, troops also tracked down a notorious gunrunner described as a “high-value target” who had allegedly supplied weapons and logistics to bandits across Plateau and neighbouring states. Acting on credible intelligence, troops arrested him on September 4 while receiving treatment for gunshot wounds.
The suspect later confessed to his role in arms supply and offered to lead soldiers to his cache. But on September 6, as troops advanced on the identified hideout, they came under heavy fire from the gunrunner’s associates. In the ensuing firefight, the suspect attempted to escape but was neutralised by superior firepower, while his cohorts fled with gunshot wounds.
The troops recovered two AK-47 rifles and two magazines from the hideout. Military sources said although the recovery appeared modest, it represented a significant breakthrough in targeting the logistics networks that sustain armed violence in the region.
They stressed that the neutralisation of the gunrunner and the militia suspect dealt a major blow to criminal groups in Plateau, reaffirming the military’s resolve to restore peace and stability across the Joint Operations Area.
By PRNigeria
