Tinubu to visit Jos after Angwan Rukuba attack

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

President Bola Tinubu is contemplating a visit to Jos, Plateau State, to commiserate with residents and victims of the recent violent attack in Angwan Rukuba, according to Governor Caleb Mutfwang, who briefed the President in Abuja on Wednesday.

Mutfwang disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after meeting with President Tinubu on the violent attack that claimed lives on Sunday evening, describing it as a “barbaric act of terrorism” and vowing proactive measures to prevent a recurrence.

Speaking after the meeting at the President’s invitation, Mutfwang said the situation is now under control following swift state interventions.

He said that the President “commiserates with the entire state” and intends to come personally to Jos to show his “love and affection” for the people.

The attack killed dozens and prompted a security lockdown and a 48-hour curfew in parts of the state.

“What happened on Sunday evening was quite unfortunate, but the situation has been brought under control now. We’ve been able to evacuate corpses to the mortuary. Some families have already buried their dead,” he stated.

He explained that a curfew was imposed but relaxed from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday morning, though looters briefly disrupted the peace before security forces restored order by noon.

Mutfwang detailed the briefing to Tinubu, which covered the incident, state responses and future plans discussed at a post-crisis Security Council meeting.

President Tinubu approved joint measures with security forces, marking “a decisive turning point” for more proactive actions.

On the attack’s causes, Mutfwang rejected simplistic narratives, calling it multifaceted criminality. “In a crisis of this nature, you can’t reduce it to one reason. It’s a mixture of multiple reasons… We’re therefore hoping that, going forward, we’ll deal with this as criminality and make sure that these kind of actions do not repeat themselves.” No attackers have been apprehended yet, but the state condemns the violence regardless of motive or religion.

As Chief Security Officer, Mutfwang emphasised unity against barbarism, assuring residents of enhanced security collaboration.