The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, is scheduled to visit Plateau State in response to the recent surge of attacks and killings in the Bokkos and Bassa communities, according to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda. This visit aims to address the escalating security challenges that have claimed numerous lives in the past two weeks. Concurrently, former Niger State Commissioner and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Jonathan Vatsa, has alleged that the ongoing violence in Plateau and Benue states is politically motivated, designed to undermine President Bola Tinubu’s administration leading up to the 2027 elections.

Vatsa, speaking to journalists in Minna, asserted that these killings mirror tactics employed against former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. He accused “political merchants” of sponsoring terror to destabilize Tinubu’s government, drawing parallels to the funding of Boko Haram and the Chibok kidnapping during Jonathan’s tenure. Vatsa expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s potential re-election, citing support from Niger State for Governor Bago’s agenda, but stressed the necessity for the government to confront and prosecute known perpetrators evading justice.

Echoing these concerns, the Plateau Youth Council (PYC), Northern Zone, has voiced strong concerns over the violent attacks on rural communities in Bassa and Riyom local councils, particularly as they coincide with the start of the wet farming season. Samson Chiroma, the PYC Northern Zone Coordinator, labeled these attacks as “acts of genocide” rather than mere communal clashes. He urged the Plateau State Government to reinforce Operation Rainbow, a local security initiative, by increasing personnel and providing modern equipment.

The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, accompanied by Maj.-Gen. Folusho Oyinlola and other security chiefs, visited the affected communities in Bassa over the weekend, assuring residents of the government’s commitment to ending the killings and taking decisive action to address the security challenges in the state. Vatsa, currently serving as Special Adviser on Public Private Partnership (PPP) to Governor Umaru Bago, warned that President Tinubu’s administration is the real target of this insecurity wave. He cautioned that unless Tinubu acts swiftly and decisively, these “political merchants” might succeed in destabilizing the country to an ungovernable state.

Vatsa criticized the perceived reluctance of the government to act against alleged sponsors of violence, contrasting the treatment of criminals and looters with that of law-abiding citizens. He advised President Tinubu to adopt a firmer stance against insecurity, emphasizing the need for decisive action to counter the threats effectively. He stated, “Fighting the current security threats requires a certain level of madness. If the President doesn’t have it, he must acquire it quickly before these people consume his government.”