Troops Gun Down Suspected Berom Militia in Fresh Attack on NIPSS, Recover Rifle Stolen from Fallen Soldier
By Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP) have neutralised a suspected Berom militia member during a failed attack on the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, recovering a service rifle previously stolen from a soldier killed in an earlier assault.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the latest attack occurred at about 12:10 a.m. on July 2, when suspected armed militia attempted to breach the security perimeter of the prestigious institute under the cover of darkness.
The troops of Sector 6, deployed to protect the facility, responded immediately, engaging the attackers in a fierce exchange of gunfire.
During the encounter, one of the assailants was shot dead, while the remaining attackers retreated towards the rocky high grounds behind the institute.
A search conducted on the neutralised suspect led to the recovery of a service rifle bearing registration number CO-3175, which military authorities confirmed belonged to a soldier who was killed in action on April 11, 2026, during an attack on troops by Berom Militia at the Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Vom, also in Jos South Local Government Area.
The recovered rifle was loaded with 16 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and has since been taken into military custody.
The body of the slain attacker was evacuated to Keystone Hospital, Vom, before being deposited at the mortuary, while troops have intensified area domination patrols around the institute to forestall further attacks and reassure residents.
The latest incident is the third attempted attack on the NIPSS facility within weeks, pointing to the persistent security threats around the strategic institution.
On June 16, the gunmen launched a deadly assault on security personnel guarding the Moderator’s Quarters of NIPSS, killing Inspector Peter Joseph of the Force Headquarters Operations Department and two military personnel. The attackers escaped with the inspector’s service pistol and two military rifles.
Again, on June 29, troops and other security agencies foiled another attempted infiltration after detecting suspicious movements around the institute. The suspects fled into nearby bushes before they could gain access to the facility.
Security sources noted that the recovery of the rifle stolen during the April attack provides a significant breakthrough in ongoing investigations into armed local militia activities in the Kuru-Vom axis, suggesting that the same criminal network has been linked to multiple attacks on security personnel in the area.
Military authorities have reinforced security around NIPSS, with surveillance operations and aggressive patrols continuing to track down the fleeing attackers.
The operation, according to the sources, forms part of ongoing efforts by Operation Enduring Peace to dismantle armed militia cells and restore lasting security across Plateau State.
