Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, has said the venue of President Bola Tinubu’s meeting with the people of Jos over the recent killings was not as important as the substance of the meeting.
The governor said Tinubu showed concern, and that was what mattered.
Mutfwang said this during on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Friday.
Dismissing criticisms over the logistics of President Tinubu’s visit to the state, he said: “The venue is not as important as the substance.
“The President came, met with the people, and demonstrated concern. That is what matters.”
He described the incident as “quite challenging,” noting that it marked a disturbing shift from previous attacks largely confined to rural communities.
Also, Mutfwang said no arrests had been made, but assured that security agencies were working with “actionable intelligence” to apprehend the perpetrators.
The attack occurred on Sunday, March 29, at a busy junction in Jos. It left no fewer than 28 people dead, including students and staff of the University of Jos, raising fresh concerns about security in Plateau State.
“We have some actionable intelligence at the moment that the security agencies are following up. I don’t want to say more so that I do not jeopardise ongoing investigations.“I want to assure Plateau people and Nigerians that by the grace of God, we are determined to fish them out. When we do so, Nigerians would know… but for now, we are on their trail.”Mutfwang, who commiserated with victims, said both residents and security operatives were caught unawares.“The community was blindsided. The security personnel were blindsided. Because of the relative peace we have enjoyed… nobody envisaged this kind of thing,” he said.He explained that the attackers disguised their operation in a manner similar to anti-drug raids, delaying resistance from residents.“They came hooded and were shooting in the manner operatives of NDLEA usually do. So people took it for granted initially, thinking it was a routine operation. By the time they realised, a lot of damage had been done,” he added.The governor also referenced a separate incident in Wase Local Government Area, where security personnel were ambushed.“It was actually an ambush by bandits on a contingent of security personnel on lawful duty, leading to the death of about three officers and other men,” he said.On the nature of the Jos attack, Mutfwang described it as premeditated and professionally executed.“The initial assessment indicates that the attackers knew their onions in terms of marksmanship. The shots were not ordinary. This was premeditated, well-orchestrated, and deliberately structured to create fear,” he stated.While acknowledging suspicions about the identities and motives of the attackers, he cautioned against premature conclusions.“We have our suspicions, but we would rather keep them until the security agencies have done their work. It would be irresponsible to make conjectures at this stage,” he said.He warned residents against taking the law into their hands despite rising anger over the killings.“In the spirit of Easter, I appeal to our people to sheathe their swords and calm their hearts. We cannot allow this to degenerate into anarchy. We must remain a lawful society,” he said.He added that the attackers’ aim was to destabilise the state and reverse gains made in peacebuilding.“The aim is to set the state ablaze and make us lose the gains we have made over the last two years in rebuilding trust among communities. We cannot afford to lose those gains,” he said.Mutfwang noted ongoing efforts by community and religious leaders to sustain peace.“I was excited when the Plateau Youth Council initiated conversations among Christian and Muslim youths on their own. Christian leaders are reaching out to Muslim leaders. These are the kinds of engagements we need,” he said.He also revealed that authorities are cracking down on individuals using social media to incite unrest.“We are clamping down on social media anarchists. We will pick them up one by one and ensure they are brought to book. Freedom of expression must not endanger lives,” he said.On prosecution, the governor assured that justice would be served.“Not under my watch will this be swept under the carpet. This incident has personally affected me. When arrests are made, none will slip through our fingers. We will prosecute,” he vowed.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang has said both residents and security personnel were caught unawares during the recent deadly attack in Jos, describing the incident as unexpected after months of relative calm.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, the governor said the attack took the community by surprise, noting that the state had experienced peace for nearly a year before the incident.
“As a matter of fact, the community was blindsided. The security personnel were also caught off guard because of the relative peace we have enjoyed, particularly in the last 10 months to one year. So nobody envisaged this kind of thing,” he said.
According to him, the attackers exploited familiar patterns in the area to carry out the assault.
“Obviously, the attackers had studied the psychology of the people, who are used to seeing operatives of the NDLEA who come to raid neighbouring communities in search of drug addicts,” Mutfwang said.
He explained that the gunmen disguised their operation in a manner similar to routine law enforcement activities, which initially reduced suspicion among residents.
“So they came in that manner, hooded, and were shooting in the same way NDLEA officers operate. People initially assumed it was an NDLEA operation and did not resist, but when they realised what was happening, a lot of damage had already been done,” he added.
The governor noted that by the time residents understood the situation and attempted to react, the attackers had already fled the scene.
“By the time they began to respond, the attackers had already escaped,” he said.
Describing the incident as troubling, particularly as it occurred within the city centre, Mutfwang expressed concern over the scale and location of the violence.
“It’s quite unfortunate. It’s quite worrisome, having such an incident occur in the city centre,” he stated.
Despite the development, the governor expressed optimism that the attack would not become a recurring occurrence.
“But we are confident that by God’s grace this will be a one-off event and not a recurring situation,” he added.