Troops of the Nigerian Army have recovered three rifles, two Dane guns and 15 rounds of ammunition during a raid on a suspected arms cache in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The troops, operating under Sector 8 of Operation ENDURING PEACE as part of Operation HARD KNOCK, launched the operation following intelligence indicating a planned attack on Mwar Community in Chakfem Kingdom.
The intelligence received on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, suggested that suspected bandit militias were preparing to attack the community, reportedly following the alleged rustling of an unconfirmed number of cattle by some youths from the area.
Following the intelligence, the troops deployed for a fighting patrol and raid of suspected locations, with the aim of recovering the missing cattle and apprehending those allegedly involved in the incident.
During the operation, troops deployed drones and other surveillance assets to search surrounding settlements and bush locations for the missing cattle, but no trace of the animals was found.
However, intelligence gathered during the operation identified Pantong Stanley and other youths from the community as suspected perpetrators of the alleged cattle rustling.
Troops subsequently raided Stanley’s residence, but he was not at home when the operation was conducted. The search nevertheless led to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle, one locally fabricated AK-47 rifle, one locally fabricated revolver rifle, two Dane guns and 15 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition.
The Army said troops, working alongside the Police and other security agencies, had continued targeted searches around the residences and locations linked to other identified suspects.
The ongoing operation is aimed at recovering the missing cattle, locating additional arms caches and arresting those suspected to be behind the incident.
The security forces have also urged residents of Plateau State to remain vigilant and provide credible information on suspicious activities to the appropriate security agencies.
The operation comes amid continued efforts by security agencies to prevent attacks on vulnerable communities, curb the proliferation of illegal arms and sustain peaceful coexistence across Plateau State and the wider North Central region.
