By Sabiu Abdullahi
Troops have arrested a man suspected to have taken part in the recent attack on the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The suspect, identified as Paul Kolsen, was arrested on Sunday at about 3:30 p.m. at Farm Centre. Security sources said he was “receiving treatment for a gunshot wound” believed to have been sustained during the attack on the institute on July 2.
According to security sources cited by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication that reports on the Lake Chad region, the arrest followed intelligence reports received by security operatives. The sources added that other suspects connected to the incident had earlier been arrested.
The July 2 incident marked another attack on the institution within a short period. During the assault, troops reportedly exchanged gunfire with suspected Berom militia members. One of the attackers was killed, while others escaped into nearby rocky areas.
Security personnel also recovered a service rifle with registration number “CO-3175” during the operation.
Authorities said the weapon had earlier been stolen from a soldier who lost his life during an attack on troops at the Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Vom, on April 11.
The discovery of the rifle has prompted investigators to examine possible connections between the attacks on NIPSS and previous assaults on security personnel along the Kuru-Vom corridor.
Kolsen is currently in military custody as investigations continue into his alleged role in the attack and the activities of other suspected members of the group behind the repeated assaults.
Security agencies said operations based on intelligence gathering are still ongoing in the area to arrest more suspects and dismantle the network believed to be responsible for the attacks.
NIPSS, regarded as one of Nigeria’s leading policy and leadership institutions, has suffered three separate attacks by gunmen between June 16 and July 2.
The attacks reportedly resulted in the deaths of about three security operatives and one suspected militia member.