Suspect in NIPSS Assault Nabbed While Treating Bullet Wound

ByNewsmakers

Jul 7, 2026 #Berom militia, #gunshot wound suspect, #Kuru attack, #Kuru-Vom corridor, #military operations Nigeria, #Nigeria security news, #Nigerian Army, #NiPSS attack, #NIPSS Kuru, #NIPSS suspect arrested, #Paul Kolsen arrest, #Plateau security, #Plateau State attack, #Plateau violence, #stolen service rifle

Paul Kolsen

Matilda Omonaiye/

A man suspected of taking part in the latest armed attack on Nigeria’s premier policy think tank was arrested on Sunday while allegedly seeking treatment for a gunshot wound believed to have been sustained during the assault, according to security sources.

The suspect, identified as Paul Kolsen, was apprehended around 3:30 p.m. at Farm Centre, where he was reportedly receiving medical attention after intelligence operatives tracked his movements. Investigators believe the injury was sustained during the July 2 gun battle between troops and armed attackers at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Plateau State.

Security officials said the arrest followed actionable intelligence and came only days after other suspects linked to the attack were taken into custody, suggesting that investigators are steadily tightening the dragnet around those believed to be behind the repeated assaults on the institution.

The July 2 attack marked the latest in a disturbing sequence of armed incursions targeting the nation’s foremost leadership and policy institute. Soldiers engaged the attackers in a fierce exchange of gunfire, killing one suspected militia member while others escaped into the surrounding rocky terrain.

One of the most significant discoveries from the operation was the recovery of a service rifle bearing registration number CO-3175. Military authorities identified the weapon as one stolen from a soldier killed during an earlier attack on troops at the Federal College of Land Resources Technology in Vom on April 11.

The recovery has broadened the investigation beyond the NIPSS attack itself. Security agencies are now examining possible operational links between the assault on the institute and previous attacks on military personnel along the volatile Kuru-Vom corridor.

Kolsen remains in military custody as investigators work to determine the extent of his alleged involvement and identify other members of the network believed to be orchestrating the attacks.

Security officials said intelligence-led operations are continuing across the area, with the objective of apprehending additional suspects and dismantling the armed group behind the recurring violence.

The attacks have heightened concerns over security around NIPSS, one of Nigeria’s most strategic public institutions, which has been targeted three times between June 16 and July 2. The incidents have left three security personnel dead, while one suspected attacker was killed during the military response.