.Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Troops of Operation Enduring Peace have foiled a reported armed attack on a residence in Zakaret Village, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, with one man sustaining a gunshot wound before the suspected attackers fled the area. Soldiers responding to reports of gunfire recovered a locally fabricated firearm and have launched efforts to identify and apprehend those responsible.
The incident occurred at about 9pm on Thursday, 3 September 2026, according to security information obtained from the area. Troops of Sector 4, Sub-Sector 41 of Operation Enduring Peace, deployed at the Ankwil 2 Guard Location, were alerted to gunshots at the residence of Mr Mubarak Shuaibu in Zakaret Village and moved to the scene. Initial security reports described the fleeing gunmen as suspected members of a Berom militia, although no independent confirmation has been made publicly establishing the identity, affiliation or motive of the attackers.
The soldiers' arrival reportedly disrupted the attack, forcing the armed men to abandon their operation and escape from the village before they could be apprehended. During a subsequent search and assessment of the area, the troops found Mr Shuaibu with a gunshot wound to his right leg.
The injured man was evacuated to a clinic in Kurra Falls, where he received medical treatment. Information available about his condition remained limited, and it was not immediately clear whether he had been deliberately targeted or was injured during a wider confrontation.
Troops also recovered one locally fabricated gun at the scene, which security sources said was believed to have been abandoned by the fleeing attackers. The weapon has been taken into military custody as investigations continue.
There has been no immediate public statement identifying individual suspects or confirming arrests in connection with the incident. Security forces are continuing efforts to trace those who fled, while further investigations are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting and determine whether the recovered weapon was used during the attack.
The incident is the latest in a series of security concerns reported in and around Barkin Ladi, an area that has remained vulnerable to armed violence, criminal activity and longstanding communal tensions.
Only days before the reported shooting in Zakaret Village, security forces had responded to several other incidents in the same local government area. On 28 August, gunmen were reported to have blocked the Bokkos-Barkin Ladi road and abducted two passengers from a vehicle. Troops of Sector 4 of Operation Enduring Peace subsequently launched a search operation in an attempt to locate the victims and track the suspected kidnappers.
Security operations in the area have also focused on cattle rustling and the proliferation of illegal weapons. On 28 August, troops reportedly intervened following an alleged attempt to steal 19 cattle along the Jong-Nyerwei road. A separate reported incident on 1 September involved an alleged attempt to rustle five cattle along the same general route.
On 1 September, troops of Sub-Sector 41 also carried out an operation in Exland Village in Barkin Ladi following reports of motorcycle theft. Four suspects were arrested and security personnel recovered three motorcycles, a locally fabricated firearm, a cutlass and a knife, according to reports of the operation.
The repeated incidents underline the complex security environment confronting communities in parts of Plateau State, where armed criminality has often developed alongside disputes involving land, livestock, ethnicity and religion.
Barkin Ladi and neighbouring areas have for years experienced cycles of violence involving farming and herding communities, as well as attacks blamed on different armed groups. The situation has frequently generated competing accounts of individual incidents, with community organisations and security authorities sometimes disagreeing over the identity and motivation of those involved.
For this reason, allegations linking suspects to a particular ethnic group or militia require careful scrutiny. The description of the suspected attackers in Zakaret as Berom militia members is based on the initial security report, and it does not imply responsibility by the wider Berom community. Investigators have not publicly released evidence identifying the individuals who carried out Thursday night's attack.
Earlier this year, concerns over the identification of alleged armed groups in Plateau generated public controversy after reports of military operations involving suspected militia members. Representatives of some Berom organisations have previously argued that members of their communities have taken up arms primarily in response to attacks and insecurity, while security reports have alleged the involvement of armed individuals in killings and other criminal activities.
The Nigerian military and other security agencies have repeatedly faced pressure to respond impartially to violence across Plateau, where retaliatory attacks can quickly deepen existing tensions. The latest shooting at Zakaret Village therefore raises concerns not only about the immediate safety of residents but also about the potential for further violence if perpetrators are not identified and brought to justice.
Operation Enduring Peace was established as a joint military security operation aimed at addressing threats across its area of responsibility in Plateau and neighbouring communities. Its personnel have increased patrols, responded to distress calls and carried out targeted operations against armed groups and criminal networks.
In July, the operation reported a series of security successes across Plateau, including operations against suspected terrorists and the recovery of illegal firearms. The military said those operations were intended to disrupt armed networks and prevent attackers from using vulnerable rural communities as bases for criminal activities.
However, security experts and community leaders have consistently argued that military deployments alone cannot resolve the deeper causes of violence in the region. Longstanding grievances over land ownership, access to grazing routes, displacement and the lack of accountability for previous attacks have continued to complicate peace-building efforts.
For residents of villages such as Zakaret, the immediate concern remains personal safety. A rapid military response may have prevented further casualties on Thursday night, but the escape of the gunmen means questions remain about who carried out the attack and whether they could pose a continuing threat.
Authorities have not announced whether additional troops will be deployed specifically to Zakaret Village following the incident. However, security operations and patrols are continuing across vulnerable parts of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
The recovered firearm is expected to form part of the ongoing investigation, while troops continue their search for the suspects. Any confirmed arrests or additional findings could provide a clearer picture of what happened on the night of 3 September.
For now, one resident remains injured, a weapon has been recovered and those behind the attack remain at large. The incident adds another troubling chapter to the continuing struggle for security in Plateau State, where preventing a single attack can be critical to stopping a wider cycle of violence.
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