The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division, Nigerian Army Rukuba Barracks Jos, and Commander of Operation Enduring Peace, Major General Maxwell Dangana, has relocated his tactical headquarters from Jos to Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State following the deadly attack on Bin-Per community in Kombun District.

The move came after an early morning attack on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, in which no fewer than 26 people, including women and children, were reportedly killed.

Major General Dangana arrived in Mangu yesterday, August 19, alongside additional troops, equipment and other operational resources to personally oversee military operations and assess the security situation in the area.

Explaining the decision, the GOC said the relocation would enable him to have a closer view of developments and conduct on-the-spot assessments of the situation.

He said, “For some time now, especially with the attack in Bin-Per village where we lost a number of persons, I decided to relocate my headquarters from Jos to Mangu here. So, my tactical headquarters is here. I’m going to be here to have a close view of what is happening and be able to have an on-the-spot assessment.”

The Army commander stressed that his presence in Mangu was accompanied by additional manpower and resources to strengthen the ongoing security operations.

He said the Chief of Army Staff had provided the necessary resources required to conduct the operation.

Dangana also announced the commencement of Operation Hard Knot, an operation he said was designed to “crack all hard nuts” confront and eliminate security threats in Mangu and other affected areas of Plateau State.

He assured residents that the military would intensify operations to clear affected areas and restore safety.

“Operation will be beginning with Operation Hard Knot today to crack any knot that is a problem for us here on the Plateau and particularly in Mangu. We are here to clear every area for the period we are going to be here and make sure that our citizens here are safe and remain very safe,” the GOC said.

The relocation of the tactical headquarters and deployment of additional troops comes amid renewed security concerns in Mangu following the Bin-Per attack, with the Army expected to maintain a sustained presence in the area as Operation Hard Knot gets underway.