The Nigerian Army has approved the immediate deployment of special forces as the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, shifts toward more aggressive, intelligence-driven operations to stabilise communities faced with banditry.
The deployment involves the Chief of Army Staff Intervention Battalion, a specialised force already positioned in Plateau State and tasked with conducting decisive offensive operations against armed groups responsible for recent attacks, according to a statement signed by Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, Media Information Officer of Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace.
The troops were formally received at the Headquarters of 3 Division of the Nigerian Army in Jos, where the General Officer Commanding 3 Division and Commander of Operation Enduring Peace, Major General Folusho Oyinlola, represented by the Chief of Staff of the operation, Brigadier General Senlong Sule, charged the forces to act decisively in dismantling bandit networks and restoring security across flashpoint areas.
Major General Oyinlola described the deployment as a proactive intervention enabled by enhanced logistics and combat support approved by Army Headquarters, noting that the operational posture reflects the Army leadership’s intent to neutralise threats before they further destabilise civilian life and economic activity in the state.
The military leadership also sought to manage civilian anxiety over the scale of troop movements and heavy equipment accompanying the deployment, urging residents not to panic and reaffirming that the operation is aimed solely at criminal elements undermining peace in Plateau State.
According to the Joint Task Force, sustained community cooperation remains central to the success of the operation, with residents encouraged to provide timely and actionable intelligence to security forces to enable targeted operations and minimise collateral risks.