President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday postponed his scheduled trip to Iperu, Ogun State, to prioritise a condolence visit to Jos, Plateau State, over last Sunday’s attacks that left at least 27 people dead.
The decision comes shortly after President Tinubu met with Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang at the Aso Rock Villa on Wednesday evening, where the governor briefed him on the security situation in the state.
Also, the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has ordered the deployment of Police Mobile Force units and other tactical teams to Plateau State.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed this in a statement he signed on Wednesday, titled “President Tinubu postpones Ogun trip, heads to Jos as he begins four-state visit.”
The President will now travel to Jos today to commiserate with the government and people of Plateau State over the recent attacks in the Angwan Rukuba district of Jos North.
Onanuga said from Plateau, the President will travel to Lagos to observe Good Friday and, on Saturday, April 4, he will proceed to Ogun State for the inauguration of the Gateway International Cargo Airport and the inauguration of two commercial aircraft for the export and import of goods.
The President will also inaugurate the new edifice of the Federal Operations Unit of the Nigerian Customs Service and its operational vehicles during the Ogun visit.
He will return to Lagos to continue the Easter holiday, during which he is expected to inaugurate infrastructure projects undertaken by the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
These include the Ojota/Opebi Link Bridge, the Lagos State Geographic Information System Building, the Multi-Agency Complex named after the President, and a school complex.
The President Tinubu would also visit Bayelsa State on April 10 to inaugurate some completed projects of Governor Douye Diri, including the independent power plant.
Earlier, Mutfwang had told State House correspondents that the President was contemplating a personal visit to the state to commiserate with the people.
“The President commiserates with the entire state, and as a matter of fact, he’s contemplating coming to the state personally to commiserate with the people.
“It’s something that has touched him personally, and he wants to show the people his love and affection for them,” Mutfwang had told State House correspondents.
Tinubu had on Monday strongly condemned the attacks in Jos and in Kahir village, Kaduna State, describing them as “barbaric and cowardly” acts that will not go unpunished.
He also disclosed that he had invited the governor to brief him on the development alongside security chiefs to stop the killings.
Mutfwang arrived at the Villa at approximately 6:45pm on Wednesday.
Speaking with State House correspondents after meeting the President, he said security forces were yet to apprehend any of the attackers responsible for last Sunday’s killings in Angwan Rukuba district.
“Unfortunately, we’ve not been able to lay hands on the attackers yet to know their identities and their motive,” he said.
The governor said that without apprehending the perpetrators, authorities would not be able to determine the actual reasons behind the attack or establish their identities.
“In a crisis of this nature, you can’t reduce it to one reason. It is a mixture of multiple reasons, and sometimes you can only deduce the actual reasons when you are able to get two groups of people, first the victims and then the attackers.
“Unfortunately, we’ve not been able to lay hands on the attackers yet to know their identities and their motive,” he explained.
Mutfwang also revealed that looters attempted to disrupt the fragile peace in Jos on Wednesday morning, hours after the state government relaxed the curfew imposed following the attack.
“We relaxed the curfew this morning from 8am to 3pm, but unfortunately, this morning, there were some looters who tried to disrupt the peace again.
“But I’m glad that the security forces, working together, were able to calm the situation as of noon,” he said.
The governor disclosed that President Tinubu invited him to brief him first-hand on the attack and discuss the way forward.
He said the President had approved certain security measures to be implemented in conjunction with security forces, though he did not specify what these measures entail.
Mutfwang described the attack as an act of criminality, barbaric, and terrorism, insisting it could not be justified under any religion.
He said, “We are seeing this as an act of criminality. It is barbaric. We condemn it.
“It is an act of terrorism, because whatever religion you belong to, it does not give you any basis to come and do the kind of actions that were done on Sunday.”
The governor expressed optimism that the crisis would mark a decisive turning point for proactive security actions in the state.
“What I can assure you is that this has become a decisive turning point that I’m sure going forward we’re going to see more proactive actions,” he stated.
He added that corpses had been evacuated to the mortuary and some families had already buried their dead.
In a statement on Wednesday by the Additional deployment, according to the statement, included tactical teams and intelligence operatives working in collaboration with other security agencies to prevent further breakdown of law and order across the state.
“In response to the situation, the Inspector-General of Police had earlier deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Umar Nadada, to Plateau State to assess the security situation, coordinate ongoing operations, and strengthen the existing security architecture,” the statement said.
It added that the IGP had further intensified operations through the deployment of additional mobile police units and other security assets to tackle the ongoing security challenges.
“The Inspector-General of Police states that these actions will continue until normal conditions return.
“He has instructed all operational commanders to ensure visible policing and actively engage with vulnerable communities,” the statement added.
The police boss also commiserated with the Plateau State Government, the people of the state, and the families of the victims affected by the attack in Angwan Rukuba.
He urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies, warning against taking the law into their own hands.
Earlier on Wednesday, tension remained high as security operatives struggled to restore calm, following the relaxation of the curfew.
Our correspondent reports that the curfew was initially imposed after gunmen attacked residents of Angwan Rukuba in Jos, leaving at least 28 people dead.