General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division, Nigerian Army, and Commander of Operation Enduring Peace, Major General Maxwell Dangana, has relocated his tactical headquarters from Jos to Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, as police announced the arrest of a suspected mastermind of the deadly attack on Bin-Per community.
The developments followed Tuesday’s early morning attack on Bin-Per in Kombun District of Mangu, where more than 20 people were reportedly killed and several others injured.
Dangana arrived in Mangu on Wednesday, August 19, with additional troops, equipment and other operational resources, saying his decision to relocate was aimed at giving him a closer view of developments and enabling him to conduct on-the-spot assessments of the security situation.
“For some time now, especially with the attack in Bin-Per village where we lost a number of persons, I decided to relocate my headquarters from Jos to Mangu here,” Dangana said.
“So, my tactical headquarters is here. I’m going to be here to have a close view of what is happening and be able to have an on-the-spot assessment.”
The GOC said the relocation was accompanied by additional manpower and resources to strengthen ongoing security operations in the area.
He said the Chief of Army Staff had provided the necessary resources required for the operation.
Dangana also announced the commencement of Operation Hard Knot, which he said was designed to confront and eliminate security threats in Mangu and other affected areas of Plateau State.
“Operation we will be beginning with Operation Hard Knot today to crack any knot that is a problem for us here on the Plateau and particularly in Mangu,” he said.
He assured residents that the military would intensify operations to clear affected areas and restore safety.
“We are here to clear every area for the period we’re going to be here and make sure that our citizens here are safe and remain very safe,” the GOC said.
Meanwhile, the Plateau State Police Command has arrested a suspected mastermind of the Bin-Per attack.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Alfred Alabo, confirmed the arrest, saying the suspect was believed to have played a major role in planning the attack.
Alabo said investigations were ongoing, while efforts were being intensified to apprehend other suspects who fled the scene after the incident.
The renewed violence has heightened security concerns in Mangu, with the latest attack reportedly being the third violent incident in the area within the past week.
The police command said investigations would continue until all those connected with the attack are identified and brought to justice, while residents have called for stronger security measures to protect vulnerable communities.
