Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has vowed to strengthen security around vulnerable communities in Mangu Local Government Area following a deadly attack that claimed several lives in Bin Mper Community, Kombun District.
Key highlights
- Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang visited Bin Mper Community following the deadly August 18 attack.
- Several residents were killed, while others sustained injuries.
- Police have arrested some suspects in connection with the attack.
- Mutfwang vowed to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
- The governor announced plans to strengthen security around vulnerable communities in Mangu.
Mutfwang made the pledge on Thursday when he visited the community to sympathise with residents over the attack, which occurred on August 18, 2026, leaving several people dead and others injured.
The governor also disclosed that the police had arrested some suspects in connection with the incident, assuring residents that the government would ensure those responsible faced justice.
Describing the attack as barbaric and unacceptable, Mutfwang told residents, particularly women affected by the violence, that the killing of innocent people amounted to a direct challenge to his administration’s responsibility to protect lives and property.
“This is not an attack on the community alone; it is an attack on me,” the governor said.
Mutfwang said the government would closely monitor the investigation and ensure that the arrests made by security agencies were followed through to their logical conclusion.
“The police have said that some persons have been arrested, and we will follow the matter to its logical conclusion,” he said.
He further announced plans to strengthen security arrangements in the affected communities and introduce additional measures aimed at protecting vulnerable settlements from further attacks.
According to the governor, the incident occurred shortly after the state reviewed its security architecture in collaboration with the new General Officer Commanding the Nigerian Army’s 3 Division and other security agencies.
Mutfwang assured residents that the government would protect their right to remain on their ancestral land, warning that nobody would be allowed to forcibly take over their communities.
“We will do everything within our powers to ensure that you remain on your land. Nobody will take over your land,” he said.
The governor expressed condolences to families who lost loved ones and prayed for the recovery of those injured during the attack.
He also commended Plateau youths for their role in supporting community security efforts, while urging them to remain peaceful, vigilant and law-abiding.
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Mutfwang said the fight against banditry, terrorism and other criminal activities required stronger cooperation among local communities, traditional rulers, government authorities and security agencies.
He called for proactive and intelligence-led security operations that would enable authorities to identify and prevent threats before they escalate into attacks.
The governor later visited the Mishkagham Mwaghavul, Da John Putmang Hirse, to commiserate with the traditional ruler and the wider Mwaghavul community over the incident.
Hirse condemned the attack, describing it as deliberate and senseless. He said some residents were killed while they were asleep.
The traditional ruler maintained that Mangu had historically been a peaceful and welcoming area, adding that the Mwaghavul people would remain resilient and committed to their ancestral homeland despite the security challenges.
Also condemning the killings, the President of the Mwaghavul Development Association Women’s Wing, Grace Joseph Gora, urged women in the affected communities to remain calm and cooperate with government and security agencies working to restore peace.
Mutfwang was accompanied during the visit by presidential aide Abiodun Esiet, senior officials of the Plateau State Government and heads of security agencies.
