Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The good news for the people of Plateau State is unmistakable. In just a matter of days, security forces have dismantled an illegal arms factory and arrested five suspected militia members, while the state government has successfully filed terrorism and culpable homicide charges against five other suspects linked to the March 2026 massacre in Angwan Rukuba. These parallel actions, one targeting the supply of weapons and the other attacking the impunity of killers, offer a rare moment of hope for communities that have grown weary of bloodshed and official inaction.
On Thursday, May 7, troops of Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP) carried out a well‑coordinated raid on two illegal arms manufacturing sites in the Vom community of Jos South Local Government Area. Acting on weeks of covert surveillance and human intelligence, the Quick Response Force of OPEP swooped on the locations and arrested five suspected members of the Berom militia who were caught in the act of fabricating weapons. The operation was part of sustained efforts by OPEP to curb illicit arms proliferation and strengthen peace and security in the North‑Central region.
The arsenal recovered from the two secret workshops was staggering. Troops seized nine fabricated AK‑47 rifles, one locally made pistol, seven skeleton AK‑47 rifles, four empty magazines, and ten rifle butt stocks. They also found 36 empty shells of 7.62mm special ammunition, four revolver components, 14 recoiling springs, six hand drilling machines, nine filing machines, four welding machines, and a host of other tools used for weapon fabrication. The scale of the recovery points to a well‑organised manufacturing operation, one that was churning out weapons used in attacks across several local government areas, including Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Mangu, and Bokkos.
According to security sources, this was the third illegal arms factory discovered by security forces in Plateau State within barely three weeks. The frequency of the discoveries suggests that the state has become a production hub for locally made firearms, feeding a cycle of reprisal attacks and communal violence that has defied easy solutions. The suspects are currently in custody at the headquarters of OPEP, where further interrogations are under way to identify other members of the network and track down additional weapons already circulated across the state.
The significance of the raid extends beyond the number of rifles seized. The involvement of a Berom militia in the arms manufacturing network adds a complicated layer to Plateau’s security crisis. While attacks in the state are frequently attributed to suspected Fulani militias, security assessments have also linked local armed groups and ethnic militias to reprisals, illegal possession of firearms, and attacks on rival communities and mining sites. The discovery of Berom members running a weapons factory does not excuse the violence of other groups, but it underscores the reality that multiple armed actors have contributed to the cycle of killings. By targeting all sides, security forces have signalled that the era of impunity may finally be ending.
The same week that troops were raiding the arms factory, the Plateau State Government achieved a judicial breakthrough. On Friday, April 24, the state government filed charges against five suspects arrested by the Department of State Services in connection with the March 2025 killings in Angwan Rukuba, a community in Jos North Local Government Area where over 30 people were killed. President Bola Tinubu had visited the state shortly after the massacre and promised justice for the victims. That promise, belated as it may have been, is now being tested in court.
The suspects were identified as Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar (alias Auwalu Dogo), Musa Abubakar Ibrahim (alias Yaroro), and Adamu Isa Alhassan. The first three were charged with criminal conspiracy to commit terrorism and other related offences. Adamu Isa Alhassan faced additional counts, including culpable homicide, illegal possession of firearms, and unlawful dealing in arms and ammunition. The state attorney‑general, Philemon Daffi, who filed the charges, stated that the actions of the accused were “contrary to Section 269 and punishable under Section 270 of the Penal Code Law of Plateau State, 2017”. A fifth suspect, Ado Ibrahim, remains at large.
The charges detail a chilling conspiracy. According to the court documents, the defendants planned, organised, facilitated, contributed money, and received funds to carry out the attack in Angwan Rukuba, an assault that left more than 30 people dead. The charges against Alhassan are even more extensive. He and several others still at large are accused of arming themselves with guns and attacking residents of Gwang, Rin Ward, Bachit and Bangai villages in Riyom Local Government Area, as well as Vom in Jos South Local Government Area, between January and December 2025, and again in January 2026.
The arrests of the suspects occurred between April 3 and April 10, 2026, following extensive investigations by the Department of State Services. The suspects were expected to be arraigned on April 23, and the case is now pending before the courts. For the families of the victims, the filing of charges is a long‑overdue step toward accountability. For the wider community, it is a declaration that the state will no longer look away when terrorists strike.
Taken together, the military raid and the judicial filing represent a renewed push against the forces of violence in Plateau State. The arms factory bust has directly disrupted the supply chain of illegal weapons; the prosecution of the Angwan Rukuba suspects has attacked the culture of impunity that allows killers to operate without fear. Both actions were the product of painstaking intelligence work, inter‑agency coordination, and a willingness to go after armed groups regardless of their ethnic affiliation.
In recent weeks, troops of Operation Enduring Peace have intensified raids, patrols, and intelligence‑led operations aimed at dismantling armed networks and recovering illegal weapons. The interception of the arms factory in Vom was followed by the recovery of nine fabricated AK‑47 rifles, a significant infusion of firepower that will never reach the hands of militiamen. Security sources confirmed that ongoing covert operations were being intensified to track other illegal arms manufacturers and recover weapons already proliferated across the state.
For the people of Plateau State, these developments bring a measure of relief. For years, they have endured a relentless cycle of attacks, reprisals, and displacements. They have watched as perpetrators roamed free, funded by the proceeds of illegal arms sales and protected by ethnic loyalties that shielded them from prosecution. The arrest of the five arms fabricators and the arraignment of the Angwan Rukuba suspects signal a shift in the balance of power. The message is that no group, no matter how well armed, can operate outside the law indefinitely.
However, the work is far from complete. The state government must ensure that the prosecution of the terror suspects proceeds without delay and that the judges handling the case are not intimidated or compromised. Security forces must maintain the momentum of their raids and extend them to other local government areas where weapons manufacturing is suspected. And the communities themselves must embrace a future in which violence is no longer the first language of conflict resolution.
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