Amid renewed violence across Plateau and Benue states, Vice President Kashim Shettima is expected to visit Plateau State today, Monday, to address the worsening security crisis that has claimed more than 100 lives in recent weeks. His visit follows a series of deadly attacks in the Bokkos and Bassa communities, where armed men reportedly killed dozens and left many displaced.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, confirmed Shettima’s visit while touring the affected communities in Bassa on Saturday. According to Yilwatda, the trip was directly ordered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as part of efforts to restore peace and show the government’s commitment to ending the bloodshed.
“Mr. President is deeply concerned about these killings. That is why the National Security Adviser was here last week, and now the Vice President is coming to engage stakeholders directly,” Yilwatda said.
Vice President Shettima is expected to hold a stakeholders’ meeting with local leaders, security agencies, and other key players in the state. The gathering aims to improve coordination among security forces and strengthen community-level peace initiatives.
Alongside humanitarian officials, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, visited the same communities with top military commanders. Badaru assured residents that the government is actively pursuing those responsible for the violence.
“We are investigating seriously. We are on the trail of the perpetrators and, by God’s grace, they will be brought to justice,” he said.
Badaru also noted that special support programs are underway to assist victims, especially widows and children, with promises of more relief on the way.
Meanwhile, former Defence Minister Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.) renewed his controversial call for Nigerians to take steps to protect themselves. Speaking in Takum, Taraba State, Danjuma pointed to the ongoing violence as proof that citizens cannot depend solely on government protection.
“The warning I gave years ago remains valid. Nigerians must rise and defend themselves before these bandits overrun the entire country,” he stated.
Danjuma described the killings in Plateau and Benue as further evidence of the government’s inability to secure lives and property. “We must be proactive. We cannot continue to watch helplessly while our people are massacred. Enough is enough,” he said.
In Jos, the Plateau Youth Council (PYC), Northern Zone, also condemned the killings. The group rejected the description of the violence as mere communal clashes, claiming the attacks were targeted and timed with the beginning of the farming season.
“These are not random clashes. These are systematic attempts to displace our people, coinciding with the beginning of the wet farming season. This is genocide, plain and simple,” said PYC Northern Coordinator, Samson Chiroma.
Chiroma blamed Fulani militias for the violence and criticized what he described as a weak and distant response from the Federal Government.
“If the authorities are serious about stopping these killings, they must start by arresting those making inciting statements. Otherwise, it will appear that some people are above the law,” he noted.
