Troops from the Nigerian Army have launched a stop-and-search operation across Jos following a deadly attack in Jos North that killed at least 28 people and injured over 50. The exercise, part of Operation Enduring Peace, began on Friday and targets key flashpoints including Dadinkowa, Old Airport Junction, Tudun Wada, and the state low-cost housing estate. Captain Chinonso Oteh, Media Information Officer for the Joint Task Force, confirmed that two suspects were arrested during the operation, with weapons recovered including a fabricated AK-47 rifle, four rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and a pump-action gun. Security forces also responded to gunfire at Yelwa Cattle Market in Shendam, where unidentified gunmen fled into nearby bushes after troops engaged them.
The Defence Headquarters announced that Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu has approved the deployment of 850 additional troops to Plateau State. This follows remarks by Governor Caleb Mutfwang, who said both residents and security forces were caught off guard by the attack, describing it as unforeseen after about 10 months of relative calm. At a rally in Jos, the COAS urged troops to remain disciplined and firm, assuring them of adequate logistical support.
A year of peace was undone in hours, and the military's response—arresting two suspects and adding 850 troops—reveals how thin the buffer between calm and chaos remains in Plateau. Governor Caleb Mutfwang's claim that everyone was "blindsided" rings hollow given the state's long history of violence, even if recent months were quiet. More soldiers may suppress immediate threats, but they don't address the intelligence failures that allowed an attack of this scale to happen. For residents, the cycle of violence and military reinforcement offers little promise of lasting safety.
