Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has vowed that the killers and their sponsors responsible for the attacks in Bassa communities and other parts of the state will not go unpunished.
In a state broadcast on Wednesday morning, Mutfwang described the attacks as “coordinated acts of terror” aimed at displacing residents and undermining their right to exist peacefully on their ancestral lands.
At least 51 people, including women, children, and the elderly, were killed in the latest attacks on Kwall District in Bassa Local Government Area.
Homes were equally razed, properties destroyed, and scores of people were injured.
Mutfwang noted that the attacks came amid the government’s efforts to address similar violence in Bokkos Local Government Area, where 52 lives were lost and hundreds of homes were reduced to ashes.
He said troops and security personnel had been deployed and reinforced in vulnerable communities.
To restore calm and strengthen vigilance, the governor announced a restriction on night grazing and a ban on transportation of cattle by vehicle in the state after 7 p.m., effective on Wednesday.
He also announced the restriction on the use of motorcycles from 7 pm to 6am across the state until further notice
The governor said, “I hereby announce the following measures, effective Wednesday, April 16: Night grazing of cattle is strictly prohibited; Transportation of cattle by vehicle is banned after 7:00 PM; The use of motorcycles is restricted from 7:00 PM to 6:00 AM across the state until further notice.
He added, “We are also activating community-based response systems. I urge traditional leaders and youth associations to reactivate local vigilante groups and organize night patrols in coordination with the security agencies. We must protect our communities while upholding the rule of law.
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“Furthermore, I have mandated the newly inaugurated Inter-Religious Council to begin immediate engagement with all stakeholders to address the deeper issues surrounding these attacks. I shall also be appointing a Special Envoy on Peace to lead grassroots consultations and intelligence coordination.
“A Fact-Finding Committee comprising respected independent voices will be constituted to investigate the root cause of this resurgence in violence and offer actionable recommendations.
” Let it be known: the Plateau spirit is resilient. We are a people of peace, renowned for our hospitality and unity across religious and ethnic lines. Those who seek to tear us apart must not succeed.
“To the killers and their sponsors, know this: your evil shall not go unpunished. You may run, but you will not hide. Plateau will rise. Plateau will prevail.”
The governor said he had directed hospitals to provide free medical care to victims, and relief materials, food supplies, adding that temporary shelters are being provided to displaced persons.
He disclosed that he has received assurance of full support from President Bola Tinubu.
Mutfwang urged residents to remain calm and vigilant, cooperating with security agents and sharing credible information.
He emphasized the importance of adhering to the rule of law and avoiding taking the law into their own hands, and called on community leaders, traditional rulers, and youths to rally together against criminality and expose sponsors.
“But let me reassure you: my government is alive to its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property, and we are rising to the occasion more determined than ever”, the governor added.
