The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has approved the immediate deployment of a special forces unit, the Chief of Army Staff Intervention Battalion, to Plateau State to counter a renewed wave of attacks.
The troops are already in the state and have been tasked with confronting what the military described as a resurgence of terrorist activities.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace said the deployment could significantly strengthen efforts to restore security in the region.
The statement was signed by the task force’s media information officer, Capt. Chinonso Oteh, and published on the Nigerian Army’s X account.
It said the General Officer Commanding 3 Division and Commander of Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace, Maj. Gen. Folusho Oyinlola, represented by Brig. Gen. Senlong Sule, received the troops at the 3 Division headquarters.
Oyinlola urged the soldiers to carry out decisive offensive operations against terrorist groups.
The deployment follows renewed violence in Nigeria’s north-central region. On Feb. 7, four people, including a woman, were killed in Ding’ak village in the Mushere district of Bokkos Local Government Area, according to local reports. The attack came a day after rumors of impending violence circulated in the area.
Oyinlola appealed to residents of Plateau State not to panic over increased troop movements and the presence of heavy military equipment.
He thanked the public for its continued support and urged residents to provide timely and actionable intelligence to security forces to help track criminal elements and restore peace in the state.
