As violence continues to surge across parts of Nigeria’s Middle Belt, claiming more than 100 lives in recent weeks, Vice President Kashim Shettima is scheduled to visit Plateau State today (Monday), in a high-stakes move by the Federal Government to address escalating insecurity and restore calm in the region.
The Vice President’s visit follows a string of deadly assaults on communities in Bokkos and Bassa local government areas, which have sparked national outrage and renewed scrutiny of the government's response to the deepening crisis.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, confirmed the visit during a tour of affected communities on Saturday, stating that President Bola Tinubu personally directed Shettima to engage stakeholders on the ground.
“Mr. President is deeply disturbed by these killings. That’s why you saw the National Security Adviser here last week, and now the Vice President is coming to directly meet with local leaders and victims,” Yilwatda said.
The Vice President is expected to convene a high-level stakeholders’ meeting aimed at improving security coordination and strengthening community-based peacebuilding efforts.
Accompanying officials, including Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru and senior military commanders led by Maj. Gen. Folusho Oyinlola, promised a firm response. Badaru assured residents that security forces were actively pursuing the perpetrators.
“We are thoroughly investigating these attacks. We are on their trail, and by the grace of God, justice will be served,” he said.
Badaru also announced new support programmes for victims, particularly widows, pledging more humanitarian aid in the days ahead.
Meanwhile, former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd.), has reignited calls for Nigerians to take self-defence seriously. Speaking at a public function in his hometown of Takum, Taraba State, Danjuma reiterated a warning he first issued five years ago—urging citizens not to depend entirely on state security forces.
“My warning still stands,” he said. “Nigerians must defend themselves before these bandits overrun the country. We cannot continue to watch helplessly while our people are slaughtered. Enough is enough.”
Danjuma described the attacks in Plateau and Benue as a glaring indictment of the government’s inability to protect lives and property.
His remarks echo the growing frustration across the region. The Plateau Youth Council (PYC), Northern Zone, condemned the killings as targeted acts of genocide rather than spontaneous communal clashes, a label often used by federal authorities.
“These are not random conflicts,” said PYC Northern Coordinator Samson Chiroma in Jos. “These attacks are coordinated, strategic attempts to displace our people—timed deliberately with the onset of the farming season. This is genocide, plain and simple.”
Chiroma accused Fulani militias of orchestrating the assaults and criticized what he described as the Federal Government’s detached and inadequate response.
“If the government is truly serious about stopping this violence, it must begin by arresting those making inciting statements and funding these atrocities. Otherwise, it sends a dangerous message—that some people are above the law,” he said.
The youth leader called for urgent strengthening of Operation Rainbow, the state’s local security outfit, through fresh recruitment, better funding, and updated equipment to better protect rural communities.
As the Vice President arrives in Plateau, the nation watches closely to see whether the government can chart a more effective path toward peace—or if frustration will continue to fuel calls for self-defence and civil resistance.
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