Plateau Governor Holds Security Meeting After Recent Attacks

Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has called a meeting of the State Security Council. This meeting aims to discuss recent attacks and killings in the state. The goal is to strengthen measures to stop further violence.

The meeting took place on Wednesday at the New Government House in Little Rayfield, Jos. It follows a series of deadly attacks, including the killing of residents in Mangu and security personnel in Riyom.

As reported by Daily Trust, the meeting focused on recent security threats, intelligence gathering, sharing information, preventive actions, cooperation among agencies, and protecting lives and property in the state.

The Commissioner of Police in Plateau, Ayodeji Faniyan, said that security agencies arrested suspects linked to some major attacks in the past month.

Mr Faniyan noted that investigations are ongoing to find and arrest others involved in the attacks. "Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang is the Chief Security Officer of the State, and sometimes we review the security situation. We assess the situation to improve what we already have," he stated, according to Daily Trust.

He commented on the Mangu incident, saying, "The Mangu case was very unfortunate. We prepared and deployed, but somehow, such incidents still occurred. That is part of why His Excellency called this meeting so that such incidents must not happen again."

Recent Attacks

This meeting happened about two weeks after an attack on the Bin Mper community in Mangu Local Government Area, where at least 24 people were killed. The attack took place in the early hours of August 18. Residents reported that gunmen moved from house to house, attacking people in their homes.

Amnesty International condemned the killings and called for an investigation into the security failures that allowed the attackers to operate freely.

The police reported that Mr Mutfwang visited the Bin’per community. He expressed his condolences to the residents and promised that security agencies would find, arrest, and prosecute those responsible.

The state has also seen attacks on security personnel. On August 30, suspected gunmen attacked Tanjol and Tarai communities in the Riyom Local Government Area. They killed two security operatives and reportedly took their rifles, according to residents who spoke with the media.

Several people were also injured in this attack, and a civilian was reported missing. This incident happened amid rising security concerns in Riyom, where armed attacks have targeted both civilians and security personnel in the past.

Police Promise Proactive Response

Mr Faniyan stated that security agencies are working with their counterparts at the state and national levels. They aim to track down those responsible for the recent attacks. "We have some arrests; investigation is ongoing. We are not investigating in isolation. We are collaborating with all the other agencies up to the national level. We are still going after some suspects, and we are doing a lot of technological analysis," he said, according to Daily Trust.

He added that the governor directed security agencies to strengthen proactive measures to prevent further attacks. The commissioner urged residents to share credible and timely information about suspicious persons, movements, and activities with security agencies.

The aim is to improve intelligence-led policing and help security agencies identify and neutralize threats before they lead to attacks. The governor's meeting also follows his participation in a regional security summit with other North Central governors and security stakeholders in Makurdi, Benue State, on August 31.

At the summit, Mr Mutfwang called for better intelligence sharing and coordinated operations among states and security agencies. He pointed out that attackers exploit routes linking parts of the North-West with Taraba and Nasarawa states to enter Plateau. He urged for greater cooperation between states to disrupt these movements.

The recent meeting is expected to help shape the state’s security response as authorities work to prevent further attacks and protect communities across Plateau.