Troops Arrest Wanted Terrorist Kingpin Behind Plateau state Attacks

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Nigerian Military authorities on Friday  August 22, 2025 announced the capture of Adamu Buba, one of the most  notorious and dreaded bandit kingpins believed to be behind the orgy of violence and killings ravaging Plateau and Kaduna states, North Central and North West  regions of the country.

The Defence Headquarters, in a statement from the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major-General Markus Kangye, informed that the wanted terrorist leader was arrested along with 13 members of his gang during coordinated raids conducted by troops of the Operation Safe Haven, OPSH, on identified bandits’ hideouts in some parts of Plateau and Kaduna States.

According to Kangye, during the operations carried out in Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Jos South, Jos North and Bassa local councils of Plateau state, as well as Jaba and Zango Kataf Councils of Kaduna State, troops also recovered several dangerous weapons, ammunition and operational motorcycles from the suspects.

The Defence Headquarters spokesperson noted that Buba and his gang  were majorly responsible for most of the high profile terrorist attacks, killings and abductions in many parts of Plateau and Kaduna States.

Major General Kangye informed that interrogation of the apprehended suspects  is still underway.

Meanwhile, the Military authorities said over 220 different kinds of weapons ,and ammunition intercepted from criminal elements have been handed over to the Centre for the Control of Small and Light Weapons.in Jos the Plateau state capital.

“On August 17,2025,the Commander of OPSH Major General Folunso Oyinlola handed over 220 different weapons.,and 1,874 rounds of ammunition seized from criminals to the National Centre for the Control of Small and Light Weapons on Jos Plateau state.

“Between August 13 and 20, Nigerian troops launched a series of operations across different parts of the country under various task forces.

“In the North Central and North West Regions, troops of Operation Whirl Stroke carried out raids in Benue, Nasarawa,Taraba,Kogi and even the Bwari Area Council of the FCT where they neutralized terrorists, arrested suspects including a gun runner, and rescued kidnapped victims.

” In the North East, under Operation Hadin Kai, ground and air offensives were launched in Borno and Yobe states, targeting Boko Haram and  ISWAP strongholds in Moguno, Gwoza, Konduga, Damboa and Bama”, Kangye stated.

According to him, during the operations in the North East, troops neutralized several terrorists elements, arrested about nine collaborators, and rescued three kidnapped victims.