Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has said the recent attack in Jos South Local Government Area of the state was unexpected, despite months of relative calm in the region.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, Mutfwang was responding to the Palm Sunday killings that left many residents dead. He noted that the state had enjoyed peace for nearly a year, particularly in the city of Jos, which had been touted as the safest in northern Nigeria.
“We had attained a relative level of peace. Over the last 10-11 months, we had attained peace, particularly in the city of Jos,” Mutfwang said. “We bragged that Jos was the safest city in northern Nigeria. Little did we know that would provoke people. We didn’t anticipate the attack.”
The governor acknowledged that even the affected community had become complacent, adding that the incident exposed gaps in vigilance and intelligence gathering. He stressed the need to strengthen community preparedness and response mechanisms to prevent future attacks.
“There were gaps we noticed that we need to be able to fill up, and of course, we needed to re-energize communities, re-conscientize communities as to their preparedness for this kind of eventualities,” he said.
The attack has raised concerns about security in Plateau State, which has long been plagued by ethnic and religious violence. Authorities are now working to enhance intelligence operations and community engagement to restore stability and prevent further bloodshed.
