Ezekiel Awojide, Abuja
The Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, has explained how over a hundred bandits descended on the Bassa community in his state, killing over 57 innocent people.
In a post on X, Mutfwang said an expanded Security Council meeting was held on Monday with security chiefs and local government chairmen in attendance.
Over 120 people had been killed in the state in the last two weeks.
The recent attack led to the killing of 57 innocent people.
He said, ‘‘Today, 14th April 2025, we have just concluded an expanded Security Council meeting comprising security chiefs and local government chairmen, convened in response to the attack that came to our attention early this morning.
‘‘At around midnight, into the early hours of today, over a hundred bandits descended on one of the communities in Bassa Local Government Area, leaving behind a trail of destruction, numerous lives lost, and several houses destroyed.
‘‘We have received detailed briefings from the heads of the various security agencies regarding the incident. We are working diligently to establish exactly what happened and why, so that we can respond appropriately and prevent such incidents in the future.
‘‘At the moment, the situation in the area is relatively calm. We have engaged with the affected community, urging the people to remain calm and avoid any retaliatory actions that could further escalate tensions. We are grateful that the youths of the community listened to our appeal.
‘‘We are currently considering far-reaching decisions aimed at preventing future occurrences. The details of some of these decisions will be shared during my broadcast tomorrow.
‘‘In the meantime, I want to reassure the people of Plateau State that we are firmly in control of the situation, and we will go to any length necessary to prevent a recurrence. I also want to encourage citizens across the state: if you come across any intelligence, no matter how insignificant it may seem, please report it to the authorities. We are committed to protecting the sources of information, ensuring that no life is in jeopardy.
‘‘We recognise that without timely and sufficient intelligence, we cannot respond as effectively as needed. By God’s grace, we are working to strengthen our capacity for intelligence gathering.
‘‘Meanwhile, we continue to pray that God will comfort the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident.’’
Meanwhile, a former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwanso, has condemned the killing of 51 people in Plateau State.
He said he was sad to learn about the attack on ‘’Zike community, Kimakpa, Kwall district of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, which resulted in the death of 51 people the and destruction of several properties.’’
‘’This sad attack came after over fifty persons were killed within a week in attacks over five communities in the state.
‘‘It is important that Plateau State not be allowed to become a hotbed of violence and wanton destruction again after the relative peace it has enjoyed in recent years.
‘‘The Federal Government must rise to its responsibility to ensure that all lives and properties are protected and the message of peace should be embraced by everyone in the state and beyond,’’ he said.
He called on the authorities to ensure that justice is served by bringing the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to book.
