PLATEAU KILLINGS: TINUBU TO VISIT JOS AS IGP DEPLOYS MOBILE POLICE UNITS

By: Muftau Fatimo

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday postponed his scheduled visit to Iperu, Ogun State, opting instead to travel to Jos, Plateau State, for a condolence visit following Sunday’s attacks that left at least 27 people dead.

The decision came after a meeting with Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang at the Aso Rock Villa, where the governor briefed the President on the prevailing security situation.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has ordered the deployment of Police Mobile Force units and other tactical teams to Plateau State to reinforce security.

The development was disclosed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement on Wednesday titled, “President Tinubu postpones Ogun trip, heads to Jos as he begins four-state visit.”

According to the statement, the President is expected to visit Jos to sympathise with the government and people of Plateau State over the recent violence in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North. He will thereafter proceed to Lagos to observe Good Friday and, on Saturday, April 4, travel to Ogun State for the inauguration of the Gateway International Cargo Airport and two commercial aircraft designated for import and export operations.

During his Ogun visit, Tinubu is also expected to commission the new Federal Operations Unit complex of the Nigerian Customs Service and its operational vehicles. He will then return to Lagos to continue the Easter holidays, during which he is scheduled to inaugurate several infrastructure projects executed by the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

These projects include the Ojota/Opebi Link Bridge, the Lagos State Geographic Information System Building, a Multi-Agency Complex named after the President, and a school complex. The President is also expected to visit Bayelsa State on April 10 to inaugurate projects completed by Governor Douye Diri, including an independent power plant.

Earlier, Governor Mutfwang had indicated that the President was considering a personal visit to the state, noting that the incident deeply affected him. Tinubu had also condemned the attacks in Jos and Kahir village in Kaduna State, describing them as “barbaric and cowardly” acts that would not go unpunished.

Following their meeting, Mutfwang revealed that security agencies had yet to arrest any of the perpetrators, making it difficult to determine their identities or motives. He explained that such crises often involve multiple factors, which can only be fully understood when both victims and attackers are identified.

The governor further disclosed that attempts by looters to exploit the situation after the relaxation of the curfew were swiftly contained by security forces. He added that the President had approved certain security measures to address the crisis, although details were not made public.

Describing the attack as criminal and terror-driven, Mutfwang stressed that it could not be justified on religious grounds, while expressing optimism that the incident would mark a turning point for more proactive security responses.

The police, in a statement by Force Public Relations Officer Anthony Placid, confirmed that additional deployments, including tactical teams and intelligence operatives, had been made to prevent further breakdown of law and order. The Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Umar Nadada, had earlier been sent to coordinate security efforts in the state.

The IGP assured that operations would continue until normalcy is restored and directed commanders to ensure visible policing and engagement with vulnerable communities. He also urged residents to remain calm, cooperate with security agencies, and refrain from taking the law into their own hands.

Despite these measures, tension remained high in parts of Jos following the easing of the curfew. Reports indicated that hoodlums attacked motorists and passersby in several areas, including the University of Jos axis, Bauchi Road, Farin Gada, Tina Junction, and Chobe, damaging vehicles and disrupting activities.

Banks and schools in the affected areas were forced to shut down as residents grappled with renewed fear and uncertainty.

However, the state government eased the curfew earlier imposed on the Jos North Local Government Area following improved security in the area.

The Commissioner for Information, Joyce Ramnap, who disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, explained that the curfew would run from 7 am to 3 pm daily, effective Wednesday, April 1, to allow residents to attend to their normal activities within the permitted hours.

But on Wednesday morning, hoodlums and an irate mob reportedly attacked many motorists and passersby in different parts of the city, raising fresh fear and panic among residents.

A video of a young man hacked to death by hoodlums on the road leading to the University of Jos permanent site raised tension across the town.

It was further learnt that motorists in the Terminus and Bauchi Road, Gangere areas, had their windscreens smashed by hoodlums.

Some of the most affected areas included the University of Jos axis, Bauchi Road, Farin Gada, Tina Junction, and Chobe, among others.

Banks and schools located in the affected areas were forced to close down operations.

“We are scared to open our shops, we don’t know what might happen. But there is no need for the current tension in Jos.

“The governor has done well by relaxing the curfew in the interest of the people, but it’s very unfortunate how some people can decide to take the law into their hands for no reason, and I think the government should not allow them to have their way.

“The government needs to do more to ensure our safety,” a resident, Joy Bature, who runs a provision shop at the Terminus Market, said

UNIJOS evacuates students

Our correspondent reports that following the disturbances, the University of Jos ordered the evacuation of students from its hostels, citing the worsening security situation.

The directive was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the institution’s Deputy Registrar, Information and Public Relations, Emmanuel Madugu.

The statement read, “In view of the general security situation in Jos, and particularly the near chaotic scenarios that unfolded today (Wednesday 1st April 2026), in areas near the university which heightened tensions and threatened the safety of students in the hostels, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Tanko Ishaya, has directed the immediate evacuation of students of the university from the hostels.

“The evacuation is facilitated by HE Barrister Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, the Executive Governor of Plateau State, who has provided transport services, fully authorised to carry out the assignment even within the curfew hours.”

Students residing within Jos and its environs were directed to vacate the hostels from 3 pm on Wednesday, while those whose parents or guardians live outside the state are to be evacuated from 8 am on Thursday.

The management assured all that adequate security had been deployed to safeguard the hostels and the institution.

It also urged students and members of the university community to remain calm, adding that further updates would be communicated as necessary.

UNIJOS alumni worried

The University of Jos Alumni Association, in a statement on Wednesday, expressed concern over the recent rise in tension and reported threats affecting students, staff, and the broader university community within Jos North Local Government Area.

In a statement signed by its Global President, Gad Shamaki, the association urged the Plateau State Government and security agencies to deploy an enhanced security presence across all University of Jos campuses, student hostels, residential areas, and major access routes.