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•Church leaders in peaceful demonstration  

•Benue under siege, Governor Alia laments 

•Namadi tells Danjuma asking citizens to defend themselves can cause anarchy 

•Reported explosion at Maiduguri custodial centre false, NcoS declares

Chuks Okocha, Michael Olugbode in Abuja, Seriki Adinoyi in Jos and George Okoh in Makurdi

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has challenged stakeholders to stand with him in the fight to redeem the Plateau heritage, saying nearly all the 17 local government areas in the state were plagued with insecurity.

Mutfwang made the plea at an expanded stakeholders meeting held at the Government House, Jos, yesterday, even as church leaders held peaceful demonstration.

In the same vein, the Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has declared that the state was currently under siege by armed herdsmen.

But the Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, has faulted recent remarks by a former Chief of Army Staff, General Theophilus Danjuma, who urged Nigerians to defend themselves in the face of growing insecurity.

This was as the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has described as untrue, reported incident of bomb explosion at the Maiduguri Custodial Centre.

Mutfwang, in a remark before the meeting went into a closed-door session, and commended the stakeholders for turning up despite their diverse affiliations and urged them to join with him to reclaim the land, preserve it, and nurture it for the benefit of future generations.

His words: “You are aware of the events of the last three weeks, which have once again pushed our state to the front burner of national discourse ,  unfortunately, for the wrong reasons.

“Two days after being sworn in, I convened a Security Council meeting. We engaged in a lot of discussions with communities and their leaders. Things calmed down  until we woke up to a ruthless attack on 2023 Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day in Bokkos that claimed not less than 150 lives in one sweep.

“From January 2024 till February 2025, even though there were sporadic incidents here and there, we did not experience anything close to the magnitude of what has recently occurred — first in a community called Ruwi in Bokkos, and then it spread to other parts.

“Just over 10 days ago, it extended into Bassa Local Government Area. At the last count, we have probably lost well over 100 people.

“In Bassa, I’m told the community documented all the attacks and deaths that took place between 2015 to date. Many would be shocked to learn that nearly 3,000 people were lost, particularly in the Miango axis.

“There is no senatorial zone in this state that is without its share of conflict. In Wase, for instance, a grazing reserve was developed as far back as the days of Northern Nigeria, but that area has been inaccessible.

“Kanam has also come under siege. The intelligence we are getting from Pandam (in Qua’an Pan LGA) is very disturbing; it has become a haven for kidnappers and a sort of stock exchange for ransom transactions. Many of the kidnappings that took place in Shendam have also been linked to Pandam.

“Bokkos and Mangu have been severely hit, particularly in the last two years. The crisis has even spread into Pankshin. Kanke is not spared either — reports of kidnappings there are becoming alarming.

“In the Northern Zone, perhaps the only local government that might appear relatively calm is Jos North. But that does not mean Jos North has been spared. One of the most dangerous cultic groups — Sarasuka — operates there, and we have been trying to tackle them. That cult group has taken many lives.

“Border communities in Jos South have come under tremendous siege recently — not to mention Riyom and Barkin Ladi that have experienced long-term instability. In essence, Plateau is under siege. Why us? Who is behind this? Where are they coming from? Who is sponsoring them? What is their aim?”

Charging the people further, he said, “We must rise together and ensure that this blessed land God gave us is preserved and that we maximize the blessings embedded in it. While I am open to suggestions — because I don’t possess a monopoly of wisdom, I also believe we must speak up.

“When I came on board, the dominant narrative at national and international levels was that Plateau is suffering from a clash between farmers and herders. I ask you, sir, is that true? How can bandits occupy the Wase grazing reserve, and someone calls that a clash? How can they be in forests in Kanam, and someone says it is a clash?

“When it happened in December 2023 in Bokkos, when gunmen attacked defenceless communities with sophisticated weapons on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, what clash was that? Isn’t it time we all unite to reject this falsehood?

“I look forward to the day when,  regardless of religion or ethnicity, any of us is attacked and we all speak with one voice, saying: what is happening on the Plateau is nothing short of genocide perpetrated by terrorists.”

Mutfwang lamented that many advisers might want to “mislead President Bola Tinubu into believing we are the aggressors, or that we are intolerant,” but “We must come together. This is the time to hold one another’s hands, not throw each other under the bus.”

The meeting, which later went into closed doors, had former governors of the state like Fidelis Tapgun, Joshua Dariye, Jonah Jang, and Rear Admiral Bitrus Atukum in attendance.

Other stakeholders in attendance were serving and former Senators, members of House of Reps, traditional and religious leaders, government officials, youth and women groups, among others.

Meanwhile, the protesters, dressed in black, red, and white were led by the Plateau State CAN Chairman, Rev. Fr. Polycarp Lubo; the President of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Rev. Amos Mohzo; the Plateau State Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Pastor Dunga Gomwalk; and the President of the Gideon and Funmi Para-Mallam Peace Foundation, Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam. They demanded an end to the recurring attacks and killings in the State.

Benue Under Siege, Governor Alia Laments

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, has revealed that Benue State was currently under siege by armed herdsmen. The governor said the death toll in the Holy Thursday and Good Friday attacks in Ukum and Logo Local Government Areas, LGAs, of the state had risen to 72.

The attack on the two LGAs came a few days after similar attacks on Ikobi, Asa 2, Otobi-Akpa, Emichi, Okpomaju and Odudaje communities in Otukpo LGA, which claimed about 30 lives, while many sustained severe injuries as the rampaging herders razed several properties.

The governor, who was giving an update on the attacks, urged the federal government to step into the situation and end the activities of the killer herders in the state.

He said, “Last night we got wind again that three dead bodies were recovered from the Katsina-Ala axis of the state, which means that the entire space out there is under siege again.

“We are under siege as a state. We are under attack, and those who are attacking us must have a face, must have an aim, and must have a drive. They come, they drag people out, they kill to occupy. This is extremely unacceptable.

“Barely three weeks ago, we had attacks in Otukpo, Benue South District; 13 dead bodies were recovered from that attack.

“This is a siege. Barely one and a half months ago, we did not have it easy to repel the terrorists in Kwande axis. So, if this is not a siege, what is it?

“The federal government must up its game in our support and in fighting this insurgency. It is targeted. I mean, it is planned, and religiously, it is being executed.

“They are terrorists, they are terrorists period. And we strongly believe that their aim point and aim is to land grab. A terrorist is a terrorist irrespective of his ethnicity or his religion. Criminality is criminality period.”

The governor appealed for support, assuring of his determination to end insecurity in the five worst-hit Local Government Areas, LGAs, of the state within the shortest possible time.

Jigawa Gov to Danjuma: Telling Citizens to Defend Themselves Can Cause Anarchy

Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, has faulted recent remarks by a former Chief of Army Staff, General Theophilus Danjuma, who urged Nigerians to defend themselves in the face of growing insecurity.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, yesterday, Namadi warned that such a statement could lead to lawlessness.

“He (Danjuma) is a very senior security person, and should be respected. But if he says that citizens should be allowed to defend themselves, I think you are causing anarchy. His words need to be analysed carefully,” Namadi said.

The governor stressed that the government was making efforts to improve the country’s security architecture, andpointed to his state as an example of how community engagement and strategic planning could help reduce violence.

His words: “When we assumed office, we employed a lot of strategies and brought in experts. We also engaged traditional rulers and established standing committees to communicate with the people. Now, they understand that fighting or killing each other is not the solution.

“We have not reached the level where people need to defend themselves,” the governor said, even as he also backed the establishment of the State Police, describing it as a viable solution to Nigeria’s security problems.

“The idea of State Police is still very much alive. Many states have indicated interest. At the level of the National Economic Council, discussions are ongoing, and I believe it will eventually be implemented,” he stated.

Danjuma, speaking at a public event in Takum, Taraba State, urged Nigerians to defend themselves against bandits and criminals, warning that relying solely on the government for protection was no longer realistic.

“The warning I gave some years ago is still as valid today as it was then. Nigerians must rise and defend themselves. We cannot continue to sit and watch while bandits, terrorists, and criminal gangs massacre our people unchecked,” Danjuma said, referring to his earlier warnings.

NcoS: Reported Explosion at Maiduguri Custodial Centre False

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has described as untrue, the reported incident of bomb explosion at the Maiduguri Custodial Centre.

Public Relations Officer of NCoS, Umar Abubakar, a Deputy Controller of Corrections, in a statement, yesterday, said, “the attention of the Nigerian Correctional Service has been drawn to an online report of a purported bomb explosion in Maiduguri Custodial Centre. The report is not true and misleading as the situation at the custodial centre is calm and stable.

“The inmates are continuing their treatment regime of rehabilitation programmes without disruption. No security breach at any of our Custodial centres across the country. The fake report should be disregarded.”

An online news outfit had reported that an explosion rocked the Maximum-Security Custodial Centre (MaSCC) in Maiduguri on Sunday night, April 20, 2025, around 9, sparking a fire in the solitary confinement where Charles Okah, a prominent detainee, had been held since mid-March.

The report claimed that initial reports from within the prison stated that an object, likely a bomb, was lobbed into Okah’s cell through the open window bars.

The report further claimed that eyewitnesses said heavy smoke billowed from the cell, where Okah was kept.