Why I Visited Attack Site in an Armoured Vehicle — Gov Mutfwang

Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Caleb Mutfwang has defended his decision to arrive at Angwan Rukuba in Jos North LGA in an armoured personnel carrier following a deadly attack on the community, saying the move was based on security advice, not fear.

The governor visited the area after suspected bandits killed about 28 people and injured several others during an attack on Sunday evening. His arrival on Monday, accompanied by a heavy security convoy, later generated debate after videos showed him addressing residents from the top hatch of an armoured vehicle.

The clips spread quickly online, with some critics questioning the optics of the visit.

Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television, a programme on Channels Television, Mutfwang said the situation had been misinterpreted.

“Unless they see the governor, they are not going to allow those corpses to be evacuated,” he said, explaining the urgency that followed the attack.

He added that he had been in Abuja for official engagements, including a security meeting, when news of the incident reached him, prompting an immediate return to the state.

According to him, security operatives advised that he proceed with caution due to concerns about possible tension in the area.

“The security personnel have a duty to protect me, and if they assess that the situation they perceived was hostile, they had a duty to protect me,” he said.

Mutfwang said he still insisted on visiting the affected community despite the risks.

“I could have stayed back until the whole thing had calmed down, but I insisted on going to the scene,” he said.

He explained that standing through the armoured vehicle’s roof hatch was to enable him address residents gathered at the scene.

“From the height I stood… it was for me to gain height in order to address the crowd,” he said.

The governor also pushed back against what he described as selective interpretation of social media clips from the visit.

“If not for mischief, why are people not focusing on where I spent 90 percent of the time with the crowd, seeing the corpses, appealing to people, calming people?” he said.

Mutfwang maintained that he was comfortable during the engagement and did not feel threatened by residents, stressing that the security arrangement was purely precautionary.