Troops of the Nigerian Army under Operation Enduring Peace have apprehended a suspected deserter from the Nigerian Army.
It was reported that in a post on 𝕏 on Friday, Zagazola Makama, a security and counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, disclosed a development.
The suspect was arrested by the police during a raid operation in Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State, he said.
Makama, who quoted intelligence sources, said Yakubu Bilal, the soldier, was arrested by men of the Keystone Police Division in a raid carried out in Pankshin on Wednesday.
After the arrest, troops from Sector 8 of Operation Enduring Peace went to the police station and took the suspect into custody for further military investigation.
A preliminary investigation showed that the soldier deserted from his unit, the 24 Task Force Brigade, in 2024 and had been absent without official authorization since then, the report said.
Military sources said the soldier’s parent unit has been contacted to initiate the required administrative and disciplinary procedures.
The suspect is in the custody of the Headquarters of Sector 8, Operation Enduring Peace, Mangu where further investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, fresh gunmen attacked Kawel village, Mushere District of Bokkos LGA, Plateau State, killing 18 farmers and injuring several others.
The attack happened Sunday night around 11:30 p.m., it was learned.
Bokkos Youth Leader, Christopher Luka, told Daily Trust on Monday that his colleague and a member of the youth council reported the incident as it happened.
Luka said he reported the matter to security personnel in Bokkos immediately he was told of the attack.
The youth leader said the attack was unprovoked and appealed to security forces to take decisive action to arrest the situation before it escalates.
“A youth leader called around 12am that gunmen attacked the community and shot over 20 people, so 18 were confirmed dead,” he said.
“I called security and they told me that they had been alerted and were on their way to the attacked community.”
As at the time of filling this report, no statement has been issued on the incident by the spokesperson of the state police command, SP Alabo Alfred and the spokesperson of Operation Enduring Peace, Captain Polycarp Auta.
The Sunday night attack came less than five days after the District Head of Gwande in the same Bokkos LGA, Saf Samuel Alaket, was killed in an ambush along the Sha District axis bordering Daffo community.
The deceased was on his way home from a traditional council meeting when he was ambushed.
