Troops Smash Bandit Hideout in Plateau, Recover Arsenal of Deadly Weapons — Kingpin Escapes by a Whisker!

In a daring pre-dawn operation that sent shockwaves across Plateau State, gallant troops of the 3 Division/Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace (JTF OPEP) have uncovered a massive cache of sophisticated weapons from a notorious bandit enclave in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.

The dramatic raid, executed with surgical precision, followed credible intelligence indicating that armed criminals were stockpiling deadly weapons for renewed attacks in the region.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by Major Samson Nantip Zhakom, Media Information Officer of Operation Enduring Peace, the troops stormed the bandits’ stronghold in Rawaya Village, near Kazok, under heavy cover — but the gang leader, described as one of the most wanted arms dealers in the North Central, managed to flee moments before the soldiers arrived.

> “Our troops acted swiftly on actionable intelligence to dismantle an illegal arms store used by bandits to terrorize local communities,” the statement read.
“Although the main suspect escaped, his network has been crippled. The recovered weapons are now in military custody for further investigation.”

During an intensive search of the hideout, troops recovered an arsenal of war-grade weapons, including:

Two AK-47 rifles

One G3 rifle

One revolver pistol

Four AK-47 magazines

Three G3 magazines

1,198 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition

Four rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition

Three mobile phones

And several other incriminating items

Military sources told Daily Trust that the operation was part of a wider offensive to break the backbone of arms trafficking and neutralize criminal networks operating across Plateau and neighboring states.

The recovered arms are now being examined by intelligence units to trace their origins and link them to previous attacks in the region.

Major Zhakom reaffirmed the military’s determination to keep the pressure on the criminals:

> “Operation Enduring Peace will remain decisive and relentless in its mission to rid Plateau and the entire Joint Operations Area of armed bandits. We will not rest until every fugitive and their collaborator is brought to justice.”

Residents of Barkin Ladi have hailed the operation as a bold and reassuring move by the Nigerian Army, saying the discovery has restored hope of lasting peace in the violence-prone community.

> “We have not slept peacefully in months. Knowing that such weapons have been seized gives us a sense of safety,” one local farmer told Daily Trust.

Security analysts have described the seizure as “a strategic victory” in the ongoing war against banditry, warning that the narrow escape of the gang leader shows the criminals are still well-organized and dangerous.

With the Plateau operation hailed as a success, military authorities have vowed to sustain momentum until the entire network of bandits and illegal arms suppliers is wiped out.