Governor Caleb Mutfwang has said both residents and security personnel were caught unawares during the recent deadly attack in Jos, describing the incident as unexpected after months of relative calm.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, the governor said the attack took the community by surprise, noting that the state had experienced peace for nearly a year before the incident.
“As a matter of fact, the community was blindsided. The security personnel were also caught off guard because of the relative peace we have enjoyed, particularly in the last 10 months to one year. So nobody envisaged this kind of thing,” he said.
According to him, the attackers exploited familiar patterns in the area to carry out the assault.
“Obviously, the attackers had studied the psychology of the people, who are used to seeing operatives of the NDLEA who come to raid neighbouring communities in search of drug addicts,” Mutfwang said.
He explained that the gunmen disguised their operation in a manner similar to routine law enforcement activities, which initially reduced suspicion among residents.
“So they came in that manner, hooded, and were shooting in the same way NDLEA officers operate. People initially assumed it was an NDLEA operation and did not resist, but when they realised what was happening, a lot of damage had already been done,” he added.
The governor noted that by the time residents understood the situation and attempted to react, the attackers had already fled the scene.
“By the time they began to respond, the attackers had already escaped,” he said.
Describing the incident as troubling, particularly as it occurred within the city centre, Mutfwang expressed concern over the scale and location of the violence.
“It’s quite unfortunate. It’s quite worrisome, having such an incident occur in the city centre,” he stated.
Despite the development, the governor expressed optimism that the attack would not become a recurring occurrence.
“But we are confident that by God’s grace this will be a one-off event and not a recurring situation,” he added.
The attack, which occurred on Sunday, March 29, at a busy junction in Jos, left at least 28 people dead, including students and staff of the University of Jos, raising fresh concerns about security in Plateau State.
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