Mutfwang links Plateau terror attacks to organised networks

From Chukwuma Umeorah

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has described recurring attacks in parts of the state as acts linked to organised terror networks, arguing that the scale of destruction in affected communities points beyond ‘ordinary communal clashes’.

Speaking during an interview with News Central in Jos, Mutfwang said that about 80 per cent of the insecurity incidents recorded in the state were “pure acts of terrorism” aimed at undermining Nigeria’s sovereignty.

“What is happening are acts of terrorism. I can say that 80 percent of the insecurity challenges on the plateau are pure acts of terrorism, and we must continue to see these terrorists as enemies of the state, affecting the sovereign integrity of Nigeria.”

The governor said the level of destruction witnessed in communities such as Bokkos and Riyom suggested a coordinated pattern of violence supported by funding and organisation beyond local disputes. He called on the federal government to strengthen the security response in the North-Central region and review the operational framework guiding security agencies in affected areas.

“We have some of the most treacherous terrains and so a lot of ungoverned territories that make access even for security agencies very difficult, and this is one of the cries we have put out to the federal government,” he said.

Mutfwang also acknowledged the efforts of security agencies operating in the state, while maintaining that more coordinated intervention was required to address the persistent attacks.

Editor-in-Chief of News Central, Kayode Akintemi, noted that the visit was aimed at drawing attention to the humanitarian and security situation in parts of the Middle Belt affected by violence.

According to him, “We have come to Jos, Plateau State, to amplify the voices of the people and the Middle Belt that have suffered fatal losses and experienced trauma that normally nations at war may not even see.”

The interview comes ahead of the News Central Town Hall on the Middle Belt, which is expected to focus on insecurity in communities, including Mangu and Jos.