Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, has said the recent attack on the Jos South Local Government Area came as a surprise, despite months of relative peace in the state.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, the governor reacted to the killing of residents on Palm Sunday, describing the incident as shocking.
“The recent attacks in Plateau came as a surprise. We had attained a level of peace,” he said.
Mutfwang noted that for about 10 to 11 months, Plateau State, particularly Jos, had enjoyed stability, with reduced security concerns.
“Over the last 10 to 11 months, we had peace, particularly in the city of Jos,” he added.
He explained that the government had even described Jos as one of the safest cities in northern Nigeria prior to the attack, making the incident even more unexpected.
“We said Jos was the safest city in northern Nigeria. We did not anticipate the attack,” he stated.
The governor stressed that the development has exposed gaps in the state’s security framework, calling for urgent improvements in vigilance and intelligence gathering.
“We need to step up our vigilance. We need to step up our intelligence gathering. We need to step up in terms of response,” he said.
Mutfwang added that the government has identified areas needing improvement and will work to address them, while also encouraging communities to enhance their preparedness in the face of emerging threats.
