Fresh killings in Plateau after Tinubu’s visit

Barely 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu personally assured grieving families in Plateau State that deadly attacks on their communities would never happen again, gunmen have struck once more — killing at least three persons in Jos South Local Government Area and casting a long, dark shadow over the President’s promise.

The fresh attack occurred at Nyango Gyel community in Jos South on Friday night, when armed men stormed the area at about 10:40 pm, shooting indiscriminately before fleeing into the night.

The assault came just a day after Tinubu met with families of victims of the earlier massacre in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area, during a visit to the Yakubu Gowon Airport, Jos. The President had spoken in deeply personal terms, pledging an end to the bloodshed.

“To the victims, there is nothing I can give you, whether in billions of naira, but I can console you and promise that this experience will not repeat itself,” Tinubu had said.

Those words now ring painfully hollow for many in Plateau.

The Secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), Rwang Tengwong, who confirmed the fresh attack, described it as another senseless assault on innocent civilians.

“This cycle of attacks on our rural communities must stop. We call on security agencies to act swiftly and bring the perpetrators to justice,” he said.

Tengwong also issued a stern warning to residents of neighbouring communities, urging heightened vigilance across Jos South, Riyom, and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas, all of which have repeatedly borne the brunt of such violence.

The Plateau State Police Command had yet to formally respond to the latest attack as of press time. The Police Public Relations Officer, Alfred Alabo, told our correspondent he was in a meeting and would respond shortly — but no statement had been issued by the time this report was filed.

The recurrence of violence, occurring within hours of a presidential intervention, raises urgent questions about the effectiveness of the security architecture currently deployed in Plateau State — and about whether political visits and public assurances alone are sufficient to halt what has become a devastating and seemingly unrelenting cycle of killings.