Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has pledged that those responsible for the recent deadly attack in Jos will be identified and brought to justice, while urging residents to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, the governor described the incident as deeply troubling, noting that it occurred within the Jos metropolis, an area that had experienced relative calm in recent months.
“I want to sincerely appreciate the President and Nigerians in general for the show of love and how they have poured out their emotions towards us on the Plateau as a people and particularly for the families of the bereaved. Yes, we have been under some attacks of recent,” Mutfwang said.
He disclosed that prior to the attack in Jos, security personnel were ambushed in Owase, resulting in fatalities.
“The one you made reference to in Owase was actually an ambush by bandits on a contingent of security personnel who were on lawful duty, leading to the death of about three officers and other men,” he stated.
According to the governor, the latest incident represents a disturbing shift from previous attacks in the state, which had largely occurred in rural communities and outskirts of the city.
“The attacks we have been having in recent years have been in the outskirts of the city, down in some communities in local government areas in Plateau State. But this one inside the city is quite a challenging one. As a matter of fact, the community was blindsided. The security personnel were blindsided because of the relative peace we have enjoyed, particularly in the last ten months to one year. Nobody envisaged this kind of thing,” he said.
Mutfwang explained that the attackers used a deceptive strategy that allowed them to enter the area without raising suspicion.
“They came in that manner, hooded, and were shooting in the manner NDLEA officers used to shoot. So people took it for granted that it was an NDLEA incursion into their territory. They did not resist it initially. But when they realised it, a lot of damage had been done. Before they could wake up to begin to pursue these attackers, they had made an escape,” he explained.
Describing the incident as both unfortunate and worrying, the governor said the attack within the city centre had heightened concerns among residents.
“It is quite unfortunate. It is quite worrisome having to come into the city centre. But we are confident that by God’s grace this will be a one-off event and not a series of such events over the city,” he added.
Mutfwang said security agencies are actively investigating the attack but declined to disclose details that could compromise ongoing operations.
“I do not want to say more so that I do not jeopardise the ongoing investigations. What I would like to assure Plateau people and Nigerians is that by the grace of God we are determined to fish them out. And when we do so, Nigerians would know. Plateau people would know who these attackers are,” he said.
He noted that authorities already have certain suspicions about those responsible but insisted it would be premature to make such information public.
“We have our suspicions, but we would rather keep it until the security agencies have done their work. I can assure you that the security agencies are more motivated than before to unravel this because it is an embarrassment to them that this took place,” he added.
The governor acknowledged the anger and grief among residents following the attack but cautioned against retaliation.
“We cannot take laws into our hands because that is not the right thing to do. I appeal to everyone, in the spirit of Easter, do not take laws into your hands. We cannot allow this to degenerate into a state of anarchy. We must remain a lawful society,” he said.
He warned that the attackers’ goal was to destabilise the state and undermine the progress made in recent peacebuilding efforts.
“The aim of these attackers is to set the state ablaze, to make us lose the gains we have made over the last two years. We cannot afford to lose those gains,” he stressed.
Mutfwang also praised efforts by community leaders and youth groups to reduce tensions and promote unity.
“At various levels of leadership, people are taking initiative to try to make peace. I was excited when the Plateau Youth Council initiated a conversation among the youth, both Christians and Muslims. Not even government initiated it. Christian leaders are reaching out to Muslim leaders and we are hopeful that this will yield the desired result,” he said.
The governor revealed that authorities have begun cracking down on individuals using social media platforms to incite violence and spread inflammatory content.
“Before this incident, there had been a series of provocative outbursts, particularly on social media. The police had picked up one of those agents provocateurs and he is under custody. He was to be charged to court when this incident broke out. As soon as we are done with Easter, prosecution will begin,” he said.
“We are clamping down on social media anarchists. We are going after them. We will pick them up one by one and make sure they are brought to book. We are not going to allow people to use social media platforms to create tension, anarchy and hostility,” he added.
While affirming his support for freedom of expression, the governor warned that such rights must not be abused.
“I believe in the freedom of expression and we will not do anything to constrain people from speaking their minds, but not when what you say puts other people’s lives in jeopardy,” he said.
Mutfwang said the state government, working with federal agencies including the National Emergency Management Agency, has begun providing relief materials to affected families.
“Today I received a consignment of palliatives from NEMA, which is going to be distributed to some of these bereaved people. We are going to do much more. We are going to make sure that we do all we can to reduce the pain,” he said.
He acknowledged that while such support cannot replace lost lives, it can help provide comfort to grieving families.
“We can never replace the losses. Like the woman who lost her only son, we cannot replace her son. But we can do all we can to provide her with the comfort that we as human beings can give,” he added.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to peace and security, the governor urged residents to remain united despite the provocation.
“Plateau people are resilient. They have shown over the years that they will stand their ground. Anyone dreaming of dislodging people in this manner is living in a pipe dream,” he said.
“We are determined to ensure that Plateau remains peaceful. By the grace of God, we will overcome this challenge and continue on the path of peace and development,” Mutfwang added.
