Governor Caleb Mutfwang has revealed that the gunmen behind the recent deadly attack in Jos disguised themselves as operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to gain access to the community before launching their assault.
The attack, which occurred in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area, left at least 28 people dead and several others injured. Despite ongoing investigations, the governor confirmed that no arrests have been made so far.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Mutfwang explained that the attackers took advantage of a familiar security pattern to deceive residents.
“Obviously, the attackers have studied the psychology of the people who are used to seeing operatives of the NDLEA who come to raid neighbouring communities in search of drug addicts and what have you.
“So, they came in that manner, hooded, and were shooting in the manner NDLEA officers used to shoot. So people took it for granted that it was an NDLEA incursion… and they didn’t resist it initially.
“But when they realised it, a lot of damage had been done. And before they could wake up to begin to pursue these attackers, they had made an escape. It’s quite unfortunate,” he said.
The governor added that while no suspects have been apprehended, security agencies are already working on credible intelligence to track down those responsible.
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“At the moment, no arrests have been made in regard to this particular attack. But I’d like to assure Plateau people and Nigerians that we have some actionable intelligence that the security agencies are following up,” he stated.
He, however, declined to provide further details, citing the sensitivity of the investigation.
“We have some very useful leads that we hope will be able to lead us to who these attackers are. I don’t want to make a premature statement as to their identities,” he added.
Mutfwang described the incident as a well-planned operation carried out with a high level of coordination, noting that the attackers demonstrated significant expertise in handling weapons.
He also pointed out that both residents and security operatives were caught off guard, partly due to the relative calm the state had experienced in recent months.
While acknowledging the anger and frustration among residents, the governor urged the public to remain peaceful and avoid retaliatory actions, warning that the attackers’ aim was to destabilise the state and disrupt ongoing peace efforts.
Earlier, President Bola Tinubu had visited the state to commiserate with victims’ families and directed security agencies to bring those responsible to justice.