Governor Mutfwang Justifies Use of Armoured Vehicle for Jos Visit Post-Attack

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has offered a defence for his decision to address residents of Angwan Rukuba in Jos North from within an armoured personnel carrier. The governor's visit occurred after an attack that reportedly claimed 28 lives and left several others injured, leading to scrutiny over his security arrangements.

Videos circulating online showed Mutfwang speaking from the top hatch of an armoured vehicle, which drew accusations of fear and timidity. However, the governor refuted these claims in a subsequent television interview, asserting that the choice was a consequence of security assessments rather than personal apprehension.

"The security personnel have a duty to protect me, and if they assess that the situation they perceived was hostile, they had a duty to protect me," Mutfwang explained. He further detailed that he had been in Abuja for official duties when he learned of the incident and made an immediate return to Plateau.

He highlighted the heightened emotions at the community site, noting that residents initially blocked the evacuation of victims' bodies until his arrival. "Unless they see the governor, they are not going to allow those corpses to be evacuated," he relayed.

Mutfwang indicated that while he was keen to proceed directly to the affected area, security operatives advised caution due to the prevailing volatile atmosphere. "I could have stayed back until the whole thing had calmed down, but I insisted on going to the scene," he stated.

Regarding his position atop the armoured vehicle, he described it as a practical measure to improve visibility and communication with the assembled crowd. "From the height I stood… it was for me to gain height in order to address the crowd," he elaborated.

The governor also voiced his displeasure with how segments of his visit were selectively portrayed on social media. He argued that the snippets shared did not capture the full scope of his interaction with the community.

"If not for mischief, why are people not focusing on where I spent 90 percent of the time with the crowd, seeing the corpses, appealing to people, calming people?" he questioned. "You could see that social media can take a small portion and misrepresent it completely."

Mutfwang concluded by affirming that, despite the initial security concerns, he felt secure interacting with the community members during his visit.