The PUNCH reports that, in spite of earlier announcements, Vice President Kashim Shettima did not travel to Plateau State on Monday as planned to address the recent wave of killings in the area. Governor Caleb Mutfwang called an emergency stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Rayfield, Jos, on Monday. The Vice President’s trip was first announced by Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, during a Saturday visit to impacted communities in Bassa Local Government Area. Yilwatda had claimed that President Bola Tinubu had instructed Shettima to involve stakeholders and improve security coordination in the troubled state.
“Because Mr. President stated that these killings must stop, the NSA was here last week, and the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will be here on Monday to engage the stakeholders of Plateau State,” Yilwatda stated.
“My heart is with you, and I convey that of Mr. President, who is so concerned that he asked us to come here — not just me, but the Minister of Defense as well,” he continued.
The purpose of the tour was to follow up on previous visits by the Chief of Defense Staff, the Inspector General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff, and the National Security Adviser.Though checks by The PUNCH correspondent at the Rayfield Government House in Jos confirmed that Shettima did not arrive as expected, it was viewed as a critical step to reaffirm the federal commitment to justice and protection for victims of recent attacks in the Bokkos and Bassa communities that have left over a hundred people dead and sparked public outrage. State Commissioner for Information Joyce Ramnap said, “I haven’t gotten any notice that the Vice President will visit Plateau today. So, I can’t give you information on what I don’t know.”
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Vice President’s office nor the Plateau State Government had issued an official explanation for the aborted visit.
Governor emergency stakeholders’ meeting, was aimed at addressing the growing security crisis, brought together four former governors, National Assembly members, state lawmakers, traditional rulers, and political leaders.
Mutfwang lamented the widespread violence, saying, “The state is under siege. No territorial zone is spared. We have cult groups like the Sarasuka Boys who have taken many lives in Jos North, Pankshin, Kanke, and Mangu.”
He referenced past insecurity, including the state of emergency declared under former President Olusegun Obasanjo during Chief Joshua Dariye’s administration, and noted that violence in Plateau did not begin with his tenure.
“Recent attacks in Bokkos and Bassa LGAs have claimed over a hundred lives. Yes, as governor, I know that I owe the people of the state a responsibility to work in tandem with the federal security agencies to bring about peace. And we have never rested on our oars,” the governor said.
Mutfwang added, “Apart from engaging community leaders to find out their problems, we have also made kinetic provisions supporting these federal security agencies with logistics… But yet we are yet to come out of the woods.”
He stressed the need for unity and collaboration across the state’s diverse communities.
“Perhaps one of the reasons this has persisted is that we have never for a long time gathered as a people of Plateau to speak with one voice. We must find solutions collectively,” he said.
The governor welcomed constructive criticism and called for greater stakeholder engagement to restore peace, saying, “If there’s anything I’ve failed to do, please say so — I will amend.”
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