Gunmen raid NIPSS Kuru, Kill three security operatives

Suspected gunmen stormed the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, near Jos, late Monday night, killing two soldiers and a police officer before security forces repelled the assault and prevented the attackers from reaching residential quarters where course participants were lodged.

The attack began around 11:00 p.m. on June 15, with armed men attempting to breach the institute’s perimeter and access the participants’ wing.

Security operatives mounted swift resistance, blocking the intruders before any participant could be harmed or abducted.

Sources said the slain police officer was the orderly attached to a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, while the two soldiers died in the exchange of fire that followed the attempted breach.

In a press release issued early Tuesday, NIPSS management confirmed that “a security incident occurred in the vicinity of the Institute in the early hours of today,” adding that the situation was “promptly brought under control through the swift response of security personnel and relevant security agencies.”

“There is currently no threat to the safety of participants, staff, residents, or facilities of the Institute, and normal activities are continuing as scheduled,” Head of Public Affairs Dr. Osime Samuel said.

The institute cautioned against speculation, saying it would be “premature to speculate on the nature, scope, or outcome of the event,” and urged the public and media to rely only on official communications from the institute and relevant security agencies.

As of press time, no official statement had been released on the motive behind the attack. Security has since been reinforced around the institute as investigations and manhunt operations commenced.

NIPSS Kuru is Nigeria’s foremost policy school, training senior bureaucrats, military officers and policy strategists drawn from across the country’s public institutions.