Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) has revealed a plot by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) to establish operational bases in Plateau and Bauchi states. Acting on this intelligence, troops arrested two suspected ISWAP members during a sting operation on April 11 around the Yelwa area in the Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The suspects, identified as 25-year-olds Abdulkadir Dalhatu and Ubaidu Hassan, were allegedly operating under the guise of tailoring to secretly facilitate ISWAP’s expansion into the North-Central region. Preliminary investigations indicate that the duo were dispatched by an ISWAP commander to establish new cells in Plateau and Bauchi states.
In a separate operation, troops of Sector 4 OPSH raided the hideout of a wanted criminal in Mazat village, Barkin Ladi LGA. Although the suspect escaped prior to their arrival, the soldiers recovered an AK-47 rifle, a magazine, and other items buried within the premises. Additionally, troops from Sector 2 neutralized one bandit and injured others in an ambush along the Pinau-Bangalala road in Wase LGA.
Tragically, the Zogu community in Miango District of Bassa LGA experienced an early morning attack on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of a man and his two sons. The Irigwe Development Association identified the victims as 56-year-old Weyi Gebeh and his sons, Zhu (25) and Henry (16). The IDA has called on the Plateau State government and security forces to take necessary action to halt the killings of innocent people in Irigwe.