In a passionate appeal at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Jos, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has called for a united front to reclaim Plateau from bandits and terrorists wreaking havoc across the state.
Mutfwang decried the worsening security situation in nearly all of Plateau’s 17 local government areas, stating, “Plateau is under siege. Why us? Who is behind this? Where are they coming from? Who is sponsoring them?”
The governor recalled the Christmas Eve attacks in Bokkos LGA that claimed over 150 lives, and highlighted recent massacres that spread to Bassa, where nearly 3,000 people have reportedly died in the Miango axis since 2015.
“In Bassa, I’m told the community documented all the attacks and deaths… Many would be shocked to learn that nearly 3,000 people were lost,” Mutfwang said.
He rejected the narrative that Plateau’s crisis is a farmer-herder clash, insisting, “How can bandits occupy the Wase grazing reserve, and someone calls that a clash? What happened in December was genocide, not a clash.”
The meeting was attended by former governors Fidelis Tapgun, Joshua Dariye, Jonah Jang, and Rear Admiral Bitrus Atukum, among other political, religious, and community leaders. Meanwhile, Christian leaders led a peaceful protest through Jos, demanding an end to the killings.
In a related development, Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia also raised alarm over renewed attacks by armed herdsmen, which he said had plunged the state into a state of siege.
“Benue is under attack… those who are attacking us must have a face, must have an aim, and must have a drive. They kill to occupy. This is extremely unacceptable,” Alia stated, revealing that 72 people were killed in Ukum and Logo LGAs during Easter week alone.
Governor Alia insisted that the attacks are calculated acts of terrorism: “They are terrorists, period… and we strongly believe their aim is to grab land.”
Elsewhere, Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi cautioned against calls for self-defence, warning that such rhetoric, like that of former Army Chief General Theophilus Danjuma, could lead to anarchy.
“If he says that citizens should be allowed to defend themselves, I think you are causing anarchy,” Namadi said on Channels TV. He instead advocated for community engagement and supported the creation of state police as a more viable long-term solution.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has debunked reports of a bomb explosion at the Maiduguri Custodial Centre, describing them as false and misleading. “There is no security breach. The situation is calm,” said NCoS spokesperson Umar Abubakar.
As violence escalates across the Middle Belt, the calls for unity and decisive action are growing louder, with leaders warning that only collective resolve can stop what many now describe as systematic, coordinated attacks on their communities.
