Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle, along with service chiefs and other officials, visited Plateau State on Sunday in response to the violent attacks on rural communities in the state. According to DAILY POST, the areas most severely impacted by the Christmas Eve attacks were in Bokkos, Mangu, and Barkin-Ladi local government areas.
The attacks resulted in the tragic loss of over 200 lives, and nearly twice that number sustained various degrees of injuries. Accompanied by Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Matawalle informed Governor Caleb Mutfwang that the visit was carried out on the directive of President Bola Tinubu.
Matawalle conveyed the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing the issue of insecurity in Plateau State and Nigeria as a whole. He assured the governor and the people of the state that the government is dedicated to securing lives and property. Matawalle mentioned that the purpose of the visit was also to assess the extent of the destruction and engage with communities to gather firsthand information. He emphatically stated that measures would be taken to prevent a recurrence of such incidents, assuring that the perpetrators would be swiftly dealt with.