Governor Caleb Mutfwang has defended President Bola Tinubu over the criticism trailing his recent visit to Plateau State, saying Nigerians are focusing too much on where the meeting happened instead of what was discussed.
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television, Mutfwang said what should matter most is that the President came, met with stakeholders, and showed concern over the killings in Jos. According to him, the substance of the engagement was far more important than whether it happened at the airport or elsewhere.
In his words, the governor made it clear that for him, the visit should not be reduced to optics. His position is simple: the President showed up, listened, and responded — and that should count for something, especially at a time when emotions are still high over the latest bloodshed in Plateau.
The attack itself, he said, was deeply disturbing because it signaled a dangerous shift in the pattern of violence in the state. Plateau has long battled insecurity, but many of the deadlier attacks in recent years were mostly concentrated in rural communities. This time, however, the violence struck inside Jos, a more urban and sensitive environment, and that has naturally raised fresh fear across the state.
Mutfwang revealed that no arrests had been made yet, but insisted that security agencies are already working with what he described as “actionable intelligence” to identify and apprehend those behind the attack. That means authorities believe they are not entirely in the dark, even though the public has not yet seen concrete results.
Trying to explain how the incident happened, the governor said the attackers appeared to have taken both residents and security personnel by surprise. Because Plateau had enjoyed a period of relative calm, many people reportedly did not initially realise they were under attack.
What made the situation more confusing, according to him, was the way the gunmen operated. He said they arrived hooded and reportedly fired in a style that initially made some residents assume it was a routine operation by law enforcement officers. By the time people realised it was a real attack, a lot of damage had already been done.
That part is perhaps the most chilling takeaway from his interview: this was not described as random street violence or a chaotic outburst. Mutfwang said the early assessment suggests the attackers were “professionals” who appeared to know exactly what they were doing.
He described the killings as premeditated, coordinated, and deliberately designed to spread fear, adding that the gunfire and precision involved did not look ordinary. In simple terms, the governor is suggesting that this was likely not the work of amateurs or spontaneous troublemakers, but people who planned the operation carefully.
Still, despite that strong assessment, he was careful not to publicly name suspects or point fingers too early. He said the government has its suspicions but would rather allow security agencies to finish their work before making any public conclusions. That caution is important because in a place as fragile as Plateau, careless public accusations can easily inflame tensions.
He also referenced another security incident in Wase Local Government Area, where bandits reportedly ambushed security personnel, leading to the death of about three officers. That mention shows the bigger picture: what Plateau is facing is not just one isolated tragedy, but a broader and worrying pattern of armed violence across different parts of the state.
At the centre of this latest debate, however, is a political argument that many Nigerians are now asking: Is symbolic presence enough in moments of tragedy? Mutfwang clearly believes Tinubu’s concern and engagement matter more than the location. But for critics, especially those who expected the President to physically visit grieving communities, that may still not be enough.