Defense Minister and Service Chiefs visit Plateau after recent attack
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and the service chiefs, accompanied by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, visited Plateau State on Sunday following a recent attack by gunmen.
The assailants killed at least two individuals, including a father and his son, in the fresh attack in Bokkos Local Government Area.
Arriving at the Yakubu Gowon Airport Heipang at 10:10 am on a Nigerian Air Force plane, the dignitaries were welcomed by military officials.
Present at the visit were the Minister of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Musa; the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja; the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Hassan Abubakar.
Plateau State experienced two attacks within a week, with the previous one on December 24 resulting in over 190 casualties during Christmas Eve assaults in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi local government areas.
In the recent attack, Markus Nyam, the Transition Implementation Committee chairman, reported that assailants invaded the village on Saturday night, resulting in the deaths of a father and his son. Vigilantes in the community engaged the attackers, leading to the death of one assailant, while others fled.
The Joint Security Task Force Operation Safe Haven responded to the distress call, preventing further damage. Vice President Kashim Shettima, during a Wednesday visit, assured that aid would arrive soon, with efforts to prevent hijacking. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered security agencies to apprehend the culprits.
Northwest and central Nigeria have faced ongoing challenges from bandit militias, and competition for natural resources has intensified social tensions.
The jihadist conflict in northeastern Nigeria has also contributed to violence and displacement. UN rights chief Volker Turk expressed deep concern over the Christmas weekend attacks, Insisting the need to break the cycle of impunity and address underlying causes to prevent recurrence.