Troops bust fake security operatives in Jos, neutralise terrorists
Army
Abdullateef Fowewe
In a major crackdown on violence rocking Plateau State, troops from Joint Task Force Operation ENDURING PEACE arrested two impostors posing as security operatives during a late-night raid in Jos North Local Government Area.
Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, Media Information Officer for the task force, detailed the operation in a statement released Friday.
He said troops responded to a distress call around 11:45 pm Thursday in Dutse Uku, where they intercepted the suspects “masquerading as security operatives” dressed in tactical black uniforms.
The pair were “actively participating in the arson of residential properties and the orchestration of violence within the Community.”
The arrests counter recent claims of military involvement in the unrest. Oteh emphasised, “This pivotal arrest serves as a direct rebuttal to recent allegations suggesting military complicity in the Jos North unrest, effectively proving that the atrocities previously attributed to official personnel are being committed by criminal elements using deceptive attire to sow discord and defame the Armed Forces.”
The suspects remain in custody. Troops also evacuated two individuals with gunshot wounds to a medical facility, where they are stable.
Operations continued into Karem in Wase Local Government Area, where alert troops ambushed a group of terrorists on motorcycles.
After a fierce engagement, “3 of the terrorists were successfully neutralised,” Oteh reported, with the rest fleeing.
This success stems from reinforcements ordered by the Chief of Army Staff on Thursday, including a battalion and specialized counter-terrorism units. Oteh noted the impact, “The immediate impact of these additional boots on the ground has acted as a decisive game-changer, bolstering the State’s security architecture and restoring proactive control over volatile zones.”
The task force warned that “all hoodlums, insurgents, and criminal syndicates currently operating within the State will be ruthlessly dealt with.”
They urged residents to stay vigilant and report suspicious activities.
