Troops have arrested a suspected militia member allegedly involved in the recent attack on the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, in Jos south LGA of Plateau state.

The suspect, identified as Paul Kolsen, was apprehended at about 3:30 pm on Sunday at Farm Centre, where he was “receiving treatment for a gunshot wound” believed to have been sustained during the July 2 attack on the institute.

According to security sources quoted by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication covering the Lake Chad region, Kolsen’s arrest followed credible intelligence and comes days after other suspects linked to the incident were taken into custody.

The July 2 attack was the latest in a series of assaults on the institution. During the incident, troops engaged suspected Berom militia members in a gun battle, killing one of the attackers while others fled into nearby rocky terrain.

Security sources said that soldiers recovered a service rifle bearing registration number “CO-3175” during the operation.

The weapon was identified as one previously stolen from a soldier killed in an attack on troops at the Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Vom, on April 11.

The recovery of the rifle has widened the scope of ongoing investigations, with security agencies now probing possible links between the attacks on NIPSS and earlier assaults on military personnel operating along the Kuru-Vom corridor.

Kolsen remains in military custody as investigators seek to establish the extent of his alleged involvement in the attack and uncover other members of the network behind the repeated assaults.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed that seven people died in a fatal road crash along the Okene–Osara–Lokoja Highway in Kogi State.

The accident occurred when a commercial Siena bus reportedly crashed into a stationary heavy-duty truck at Osara.

Seven passengers lost their lives, while three others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

Speaking to journalists in Lokoja on Monday, the Kogi State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Lawal Fagge, said that the bus had departed Auchi in Edo State and was travelling to Abuja, carrying passengers bound for different destinations, including Abaji in the Federal Capital Territory.

Fagge attributed the crash to excessive speeding, driver fatigue and worn-out tyres.

He said the bodies of the deceased had been deposited in the morgue, while the injured victims were receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.

He urged motorists to obey speed limits, ensure their vehicles are roadworthy, remain alert while driving and exercise caution when approaching broken-down or stationary vehicles to prevent avoidable crashes.

The latest tragedy has renewed concerns over road safety along the busy Okene–Lokoja corridor, a major highway linking southern and northern Nigeria, where repeated fatal accidents have prompted calls for stricter enforcement of traffic regulations and improved safety measures.

SOTLAWAL FAGGE – Kogi State Sector Commander, FRSC.

Chart: Daily Trust

The National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education earmarked N8.4 billion in the 2026 budget for road construction, which is outside its statutory mandate.

The Daily Trust reported that the details of the 2026 Appropriations Act show that the commission was allocated N22.82 billion, comprising N21.68 billion for capital expenditure and N1.14 billion for recurrent expenditure.

The agency also budgeted for several other off-mandate projects, including the procurement of ambulances and medical equipment and the installation of solar power facilities.The projects are located in Ogun, Ekiti and Katsina states.

The commission was established by an Act of Parliament on May 27, 2023, under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education.

Its mandate is to tackle the challenge of out-of-school children and reduce illiteracy by integrating formal and Qur’anic education and skills acquisition into its curriculum.