*Soldier Dies As Troops Repel Attack On Plateau Community By Suspected Fulani Bandits
TROOPS of 63 Brigade Garrison have arrested a suspected military impostor during a routine foot patrol around the Onitsha Head Bridge axis.
Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the suspect, who hails from Anambra East Local Council of Anambra State, was intercepted by troops on patrol after exhibiting suspicious behaviour about 9:53a.m. on July 24 along Oko Market in Oshimili South Local Council of Delta State.
Although military authorities did not disclose the specific items recovered from the suspect or the circumstances surrounding the alleged impersonation, he was identified as a suspected impostor and taken into custody.
The suspect has since been handed over to the Army Corps of Ordinance (ACORN) for further investigation and necessary administrative action.
In another development, a soldier paid the ultimate price on Saturday, July 25, while defending vulnerable communities in Plateau State, as troops engaged suspected Fulani armed bandits in a fierce battle to prevent an attack on Manja village.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the late soldier, Lance Corporal Yusuf Zakari, was killed when troops positioned to stop the attackers from infiltrating Manja community, a locality that has witnessed repeated security threats resulting from herder-farmer crises in recent months, came under heavy gunfire from armed assailants advancing through Manja Forest.
The troops were said to have made contact with the advancing Fulani bandits about 1.25pm, triggering a prolonged and intense exchange of fire, during which Zakari was reportedly ambushed and was fatally wounded.
The attackers seized the deceased soldier’s personal weapon before withdrawing from the scene, while reinforcements from Sector 9 have since been deployed to the area to reinforce the troops and launch follow-up operations to track down the attackers and recovering the stolen weapon.
From preliminary intelligence available to security agencies, the assailants were believed to comprise a combination of Fulani militias from Plateau State and armed bandits from neighbouring Nasarawa State.
The assessment, however, remains subject to further verification as investigations and intelligence gathering continue.
As pursuit operations continue, Operation Enduring Peace Command has vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice and sustain pressure on all armed groups threatening peace and stability across Plateau State.
