‘Acts of terrorism won’t repeat,’ Plateau Governor pledges after deadly attacks

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang on Wednesday vowed that the recent deadly attacks in the state will not happen again, describing them as acts of terrorism that are “barbaric and unacceptable.”

Speaking to State House correspondents after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Governor Mutfwang said, “What happened on Sunday evening was quite unfortunate, but the situation has been brought under control now. We’ve been able to evacuate corpses to the mortuary, and some families have already buried their dead.”

He added that a curfew had been imposed to prevent further violence, which was later relaxed yesterday morning from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Unfortunately, this morning there were some looters who tried to disrupt the peace again, but I’m glad that the security forces working together were able to calm the situation as at 12 noon. Presently, the situation is well under control,” the governor said.

Governor Mutfwang also outlined the purpose of his meeting with President Tinubu, explaining that it was to brief the President on the attacks, the steps the state has taken, and plans for the future.

“Immediately after the crisis, we convened a Security Council meeting. I have been able to agree on certain steps that we need to take, and the President has approved these measures to be implemented in conjunction with the security forces,” he said.

On the nature of the attacks, the governor emphasized that they are not rooted in any religion or community dispute but are purely criminal.

“Whatever religion you belong to, it does not give you any basis to commit the actions that were done on Sunday. We are therefore treating this as criminality. It is barbaric, it is terrorism, and we hope to ensure that such acts do not repeat themselves,” he said.

Governor Mutfwang also expressed optimism that the current situation marks a decisive turning point for security in the state.

“What I can assure you is that going forward, we are going to see more proactive actions. As the Chief Security Officer of the state, I am committed to ensuring that residents feel safe and that such attacks are prevented,” he added.