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The Nigerian Army says a joint task force, including its operatives, has raided a bandits’ camp in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, recovering arms and ammunition.
The spokesperson for Operation Enduring Peace, Samson Zhakon, disclosed this in a Facebook statement on Monday.
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Mr Zhakom, a major, said the troops raided Rawaya, a village where a bandit kingpin operates close to Kazok in Barkin Ladi LGA, where a cache of weapons was stockpiled.
Although the suspect fled before soldiers arrived at his hideout, a search led to the recovery of weapons.
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According to the army, two AK-47 rifles, one G3 rifle, a revolver pistol, four AK-47 rifle magazines, and three G3 rifle magazines were found.
Others include 1,198 rounds of 7.62 mm (Special) ammunition, four rounds of 7.62 mm (NATO) ammunition, three mobile phones, and other sundry items.
“The recovered items are in custody for further action,” the army said, adding, “efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing bandit and his collaborators.”
The army said Operation ENDURING PEACE will remain decisive in its onslaught against criminal elements, while efforts to keep the Joint Operations Area safe will also be sustained.
Violence in Plateau
Primarily troubled by a resource-based conflict, turning farmers and migrant herders against each other, Plateau is also facing the problem of gun proliferation, which makes access to firearms by warring parties easy.
A PREMIUM TIMES timeline of conflict in the state showed that nearly 5,000 people have been killed in the endless violence between different ethnic groups since 1994.
Data show that the conflict revolves around political, ethno-religious, and resource-based struggles, where militia factions of indigenous locals and Fulani herders have waged endless wars against each other, killing soft targets and wreaking havoc.
The recent killings in Plateau stemmed from a confrontation between Mwaghavul farmers and Fulani herders in Mangu LGA, a violence that spiraled to other places, including Barkin Ladi and Bokkos LGAs, where attacks and counterattacks dubbed as the Christmas Eve massacre claimed more than 300 lives.
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