President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, tasked Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, to summon the necessary political will to resolve the crisis in his state and establish enduring peace, saying the country can no longer ignore the underlying causes of the crisis.
Tinubu spoke in reaction to the killing of about 54 persons by gunmen during an attack on Zike-kimakpa community, Kwall District of Bassa Local Government Area, Sunday night, in a fresh assault on Plateau State.
The killings came barely one week after earlier attacks that claimed 61 lives in Bokkos Local Government Area of the state.
Tinubu expressed sorrow over the latest bloodshed in the state, and instructed security agencies to thoroughly investigate the. recurring crisis.
Mutfwang said the spate of killings in the state suggested a more sinister motive by the perpetrators.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar condemned the renewed attacks on Plateau, saying it is an indication that Tinubu’s security policy and infrastructure have failed.
The presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in 2023, Peter Obi, described the recent spate of killings as sad and unacceptable.
Amnesty International (AI) Nigeria, while condemning the killings, said they showed inexcusable security failures.
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) also lamented the killing spree in Plateau, stressing that the presidency is paying lip service to the security situation in the state.
In a related development, the senator for Abia North Senatorial District, Orji Uzor Kalu, raised the alarm that if nothing was done urgently, the entire South-east region might soon be lost to terrorists
Tinubu, in a statement by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, condemned the killing spree in Plateau State and extended his sympathies to Mutfwang, the state government, and the people of Plateau.
He urged the governor to summon the necessary political will to resolve the crisis and establish enduring peace.
Tinubu called for harmony among the people of Plateau, and emphasised the importance of love and unity beyond religious and ethnic lines.
He encouraged community, spiritual, and political leaders within and beyond the state to unite and end the cycle of attacks that had made life unbearable for affected communities.
The president stated, “The ongoing violence between communities in Plateau State, rooted in misunderstandings between different ethnic and religious groups, must cease.
“I have instructed security agencies to thoroughly investigate this crisis and identify those responsible for orchestrating these violent acts. We cannot allow this devastation and the tit-for-tat attacks to continue. Enough is enough.”
Tinubu added, “Beyond dealing with the criminal elements of these incessant killings, the political leadership in Plateau State, led by Governor Caleb Mutfwang, must address the root cause of this age-long problem. These problems have been with us for more than two decades.
“We can no longer ignore the underlying issues. It is time to tackle them fairly and find a lasting solution. I have discussed these problems with the governor over time and offered suggestions for lasting peace.
“The federal government remains committed to supporting Governor Mutfwang and the Plateau State government in promoting dialogue, fostering social cohesion, and ensuring accountability—crucial steps towards permanently resolving the conflict in Plateau.”
The latest murderous incident, which occurred late Sunday night, caused grief and devastation in the affected community and the state, as several persons were injured, with over 30 houses razed.
Secretary General of Irigwe Development Association (IDA), Mr. Danjuma Auta, who confirmed the attack in a telephone interview initially put the death figure at 47 before additional bodies were recovered from the bushes, making the total figure 54.
Auta stated that several injured people were in dire need of blood, saying the scale of the violence suggested a well-planned and coordinated assault on the people.
The state government, while condemning the attack as sad and unprovoked, warned that it was another attempt to puncture the peace that had gradually returned to the state.
Mutfwang decried the killings, and said they suggested a more sinister motive.
He stated, “I can tell you in all honesty that I cannot find any explanation other than genocide sponsored by terrorists. The question is, who are the persons behind the organisers of this terrorism?
“This is what the security agencies must help us to unravel.”
Mutfwang spoke during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
The Commissioner for information and Communication, Mrs. Joyce Ramnap, said the attack was one too many, and they posed a serious threat to the lives and livelihoods of the peace-loving people of Plateau State.
Ramnap said, “It is sad that in less than two weeks, after our people were killed in Bokkos Local Government Area, this sad incident is reoccurring in another community in Bassa local government.
“The attacks are seriously provocative, but we call on Plateau people, particularly the attacked communities, to remain calm and more vigilant.”
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) described the killings as “barbaric” and “a grave affront to human dignity.”
In a statement, CAN President, Daniel Okoh, expressed sorrow over the attacks in Bokkos and Mangu local government areas, warning that such “senseless bloodshed threatens Nigeria’s unity”.
Okoh said, “This level of violence is a serious threat to our national cohesion. We call on the government to act swiftly to protect lives and restore peace to Plateau and other affected regions.”
Similarly, the Berom Youths Moulder-Association decried the renewed attacks at a time the people were enjoying relative peace.
In a statement by president of the association, Dalyop Mwantiri, the group said it was saddened by the systemic, premeditated killings of unsuspecting residents of Bokkos and Bassa.
Mwantiri said information available to them showed that the attackers were armed Fulani militants.
He called on the federal government to, in conjunction with the Plateau State government and other states, set in motion the necessary measures towards not only the declaration of Fulani militants as terrorist groups, but also come up with a legislation that would allow Nigerians acquire arms for exercise of self-defence under the supervision of the Nigeria Police.
Meanwhile, troops of 3 Division Nigerian Army and Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH) said they had rescued 16 passengers kidnapped along Jos-Mangu road.
According to Media Information Officer of OPSH, Major Samson Zhakom, “The rescue operation began when troops conducting Operation LAFIYAN JAMA’A discovered an empty vehicle abandoned by the roadside at Mararaban Kantoma in Mangu Local Government Area of the state at about 9pm local time on 13 April 2025.
“The troops immediately searched the nearby bushes to trace the occupants of the vehicle suspected to have been kidnapped. The kidnappers, on sighting the troops opened fire, but own troops overwhelmed the criminals with superior firepower forcing them to abandon the victims and fled. Troops exploited the general area and rescued all 16 abducted passengers, which included six children.
“Troops administered first aid to some of the rescued victims, who sustained minor injuries during the incident. Thereafter, troops escorted the victims to safety to continue their journey to Jos Metropolis.
“Meanwhile, troops are on the lookout for the fleeing kidnappers suspected to have sustained gunshot wounds during the encounter with troops.”
Tinubu’s Security Policy, Infrastructure Have Failed Woefully, Declares Ex-VP Atiku
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemned the renewed attacks in Plateau State that claimed many innocent lives on Sunday.
Atiku also flayed the upsurge in terrorist attacks in Borno State, which had led to the loss of lives and territories to Boko Haram insurgents, according to alarm raised by Governor Babagana Zulum and Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi.
The former vice president, in a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibeh, said these manifestations were indicative of the woeful failure of both the security policy and infrastructure of the Tinubu administration.
He called on the federal government to take tougher proactive measures to deal with “these disgraceful incidents that challenge our national security”.
Atiku stated, “Every sincere Nigerian should be worried about the frequency and impunity with which terrorists and bandits attack innocent people in the country, especially in northern Nigeria, which has become the epicentre of terrorist violence in the country.”
