Troops of Operation Safe Haven Arrest ISWAP Members, Neutralize Bandit, Recover Arms in Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), in a coordinated operation on April 11, 2025, arrested two suspected members of the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Plateau State.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the suspects, Abdulkadir Dalhatu, 25, and Ubaidu Hassan, 25, were arrested in Shendam Local Government Area (LGA) following intelligence reports about an ISWAP cell operating in the area.
The suspects, who had been posing as tailors, were apprehended by troops of Forward Operating Base (FOB) Shendam during a sting operation at the Yelwa axis. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were tasked by an ISWAP commander to use the cover of tailoring to establish ISWAP bases in Plateau and Bauchi States. The arrested suspects are currently in custody for further investigation.
In another operation on the same day, troops of Sector 4 OPSH launched a follow-up mission at a hideout in Mazat Village, Barkin Ladi LGA, targeting a wanted criminal.
While the suspect managed to flee before troops arrived, a search of the hideout led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, with registration number 23402, and a loaded magazine buried within the building. The weapons have been secured, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect.
Furthering their commitment to securing the region, on April 12, 2025, troops of Sector 2 OPSH, acting on credible intelligence, ambushed bandits along the Pinau-Bangalala Road in Wase LGA. During the encounter, one bandit was neutralized, while others fled the scene with possible gunshot injuries. A fabricated pistol was recovered during the exploitation of the area.
Operation Safe Haven continues to make strides in combating security threats and ensuring the safety of civilians in its operational area.
