Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has vowed that the state will not succumb to fear in the face of renewed violence, declaring decisive measures to restore calm and enhance security.

In a statewide broadcast on Wednesday, the governor banned night grazing of cattle and restricted motorcycle movement from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. He also announced the reactivation of local vigilante groups and community patrols in collaboration with security agencies.

“I speak to you not just as governor, but as a fellow son of Plateau who shares in your pain,” Mutfwang said. “These attacks are not isolated. They are part of a systematic and premeditated campaign to displace, destabilise, and terrorise our people.”

He condemned the ongoing killings in communities such as Dogo Na Hawa, Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Mangu, and Bokkos, referencing the Christmas Eve massacres as part of a disturbing pattern.

The governor’s broadcast follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s call for local solutions to the violence. Mutfwang confirmed ongoing consultations with federal security agencies and commended the president for his support and orders to apprehend the perpetrators.

The governor assured citizens that his administration was fulfilling its constitutional duty to protect lives and property. He directed hospitals to offer free treatment to victims and confirmed that relief materials were being dispatched to affected areas.

Meanwhile, at the Defence Headquarters’ First Quarter Media Stakeholders Seminar in Abuja, Minister of Information Mohammed Idris urged the media to deny terrorists publicity and instead spotlight the bravery of security personnel and community resilience.

Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa stressed that information warfare is becoming as critical as traditional battlefields, while Minister of Defence Badaru Abubakar called for stronger synergy between the media and the military.

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) expressed sorrow over the Plateau killings and urged peace and dialogue. Former Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, decried the violence, saying no civilised society should tolerate such destruction.

In Benue State, similar attacks by suspected herders in Otobi-Akpa, Otukpo LGA, have left at least 11 people dead, prompting widespread fear and displacement. Former Senate President David Mark described the attacks as premeditated, while legal scholar Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN) called for accountability at both state and federal levels.