In connection with alleged murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, and other criminal crimes, 17 people have been detained by members of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), a military task force responsible for preserving security in Plateau and portions of the states of Bauchi and Kaduna.
In a statement issued on Monday in Jos, Capt. James Oya, the operation’s media officer, revealed this.
Oya claims that between August 21 and August 28 at several sites under its jurisdiction, the suspects were apprehended.
The murder of Mr. Joshua Deme in his farm in Kassa village in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the Plateau led to the arrest of five suspects by the troops.
We also conducted a sting operation at Jagindi Tasha village in Kaduna State’s Jema’a Local Government Area, where we were able to apprehend Mr. Baba Habu, a person we believed to be a kidnapper and who had been on our wanted list.
In the Bokkos Local Government Area of the Plateau, we also prevented a kidnapping attempt, which was made possible by the troops’ quick response to a distress call.
In total, he added, “troops detained 17 suspects, freed nine kidnapped victims, prevented six armed robberies, and attempted four attacks on vulnerable communities during the period under review.”
According to him, some of the suspects had ammo and weapons that the troops had also recovered.
“In a related incident, troops raided the criminals’ hideouts in the villages of Gwash and Kamantan in the local governments of Jos North and Zango Kataf in the Plateau and Kaduna, recovering a pistol and ammunition.
“Troops also apprehended infamous armed robber Mohammed Lawal in Kafanchan town, where they found two fake rifles and a fake pistol.
“Troops also detained a truck with the licence plate EKY-617-XF that was transporting damaged railroad tracks through the Riyom village of Gidan Ado.
Maxwell Davou, a drug trafficker, was apprehended at Waye in Jos South after being found with what was thought to be illegal drugs.
In the vicinity of the Alaghom and Mangu axis, a fighting patrol made contact, which resulted in the neutralisation of some bandits and the recovery of one AK-47 weapon and another fake gun, the official stated.
According to the media officer, 237 cows were “arrested” by military within the specified time frame for destroying crops on farms in the Mangu, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom local government regions.
