Plateau

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has formally defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The development was confirmed on Friday by the National Chairman of the APC, Nentawe Yilwatda, who announced the governor’s defection in a statement shared to newsmen. Read Also: Beyond Betrayal: The Real Politics Behind Abba Kabir Yusuf’s Calculated Move Mutfwang had earlier declared his intention to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing the protracted internal crisis within the opposition party as the reason for his decision.  

Five herders were injured on Sunday evening after gunmen opened fire on them at a Conoil filling station along the Bukuru Expressway in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State. The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) confirmed the incident, saying the victims were members of the association. The Plateau State Chairman of MACBAN, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, said the herders were travelling in a J5 open-body vehicle when they were attacked. According to him, the vehicle was carrying eight herders, five of whom sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to hospital for treatment. Also speaking, the Deputy Chairman of Kara Market, Dauda Adam Ciroma, described the attack as deadly, noting that personnel of the Police B Division arrived promptly at the scene. Ciroma said police officers assisted in evacuating the victims to the hospital, adding that some of the injured suffered fractures in addition to bullet wounds. Read Also: End of an Era: Prominent Nigerians and Global Icons We Lost in 2025 In a statement issued on Monday, Babayo explained that the incident occurred as the herders were returning from Kara Market, a cattle market in Bukuru. He said three gunmen riding on a motorcycle, who had been trailing the victims, stormed the filling station and opened fire before fleeing the scene. Babayo added that the victims were initially taken to the Jos University Teaching Hospital but were later moved to The Potters Specialist Hospital, Jos, due to the ongoing strike at the government hospital. Describing the attack as unprovoked, Babayo said the herders had only stopped at the filling station to buy fuel when they were attacked. “This attack is unprovoked because the herders were just buying fuel. The gunmen specifically targeted them, and this has become a dangerous trend threatening the existence of Fulani herders in the state,” he said. He said the association had called on its members to remain calm, noting that the attacks appeared to be aimed at provoking them. Babayo urged security agencies to investigate the incident and arrest the perpetrators, lamenting that herders no longer feel safe in communities, grazing fields, markets, and other public places. Efforts to obtain reactions from the spokespersons of Operation Enduring Peace and the Plateau State Police Command, Major Samson Zhakom and SP Alabo Alfred respectively, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

The Muslim community in Jos, Plateau State, has claimed that more than 4,700 of its members have been killed in violent crises in the state from 2001 to date. The Jasawa Community Development Association (JCDA) made the disclosure during a prayer session held on Friday, November 28, 2025, at the Jos Central Mosque. The group said the figures counter the widely held perception that only Christians have suffered targeted killings in the state, insisting that Muslims have also been major victims of repeated violence. Speaking at the session marking the 17th commemoration prayers for victims of the crises, the National President of JCDA, Yawale Muhammad, said the association has kept detailed records of Muslim casualties from the various conflicts in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010, and other years. According to him, the documented number of Muslims killed since 2001 stands at over 4,700. Muhammad described the 2008 crisis as the most devastating, noting that hundreds of Muslims were killed during the violence that erupted after the local government elections in Jos North. “The Muslim community is gathered today to mark the 17th commemoration of the killing of our brothers and sisters since 2001 to date,” he said. Read Also: Insecurity and School Closures in Northern Nigeria – By Comrade Wali, mni He stated that for more than two decades, repeated crises—particularly in Jos North, which has a large Muslim population—have led to the deaths of numerous men, women, and children across different parts of the state. “For us, every 28th November is not just another date on the calendar. It is a date that subsumes many other painful days in which unfortunate crises befell us. It is a day for sober reflection, mourning, truth-telling, prayer, and renewed resolve,” Muhammad added. Giving a breakdown of the figures, the JCDA President said more than 700 Muslims were killed in the 2001 crisis, while hundreds more were killed in the 2002 Eto Baba violence in Jos. He added: “You will recall that in 2004 during the Yelwa-Shendam crisis, at least 700 Muslims were slaughtered. “In 2008, the post-election unrest in Jos resulted in over 1,000 Muslim deaths, followed by the 2010 multi-location attacks in Dutse Uku, Gero, Kuru Jenta, and other areas, where more than 2,000 Muslims were reportedly killed. “In 2011, attacks at the Rukuba Road Eid praying ground left 20 worshippers dead, while the 2021 Rukuba Road incident claimed hundreds of lives among Muslim travellers returning from a condolence visit to Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi. According to our records, we have lost 4,700 people.” Muhammad added that several mass graves exist at Jos Zaria Road Muslim Cemetery, Narkuta Muslim Cemetery, Dadin Kowa Muslim Cemetery, Yelwa-Shendam Muslim Cemetery, and other locations. Also speaking at the prayer session, a community leader, Alhaji Shehu Masalla, described November 28 as a significant day of remembrance for Muslims in Jos. “We remember those who were killed during these crises. We have also lost property worth millions of naira. This day is very important for us,” he said. Malam Hamisu Umaru, who led the prayer session, said the gathering was essential not only to honor the victims but also to seek Allah’s intervention for lasting peace in Plateau State. He emphasized that development would remain impossible without peaceful coexistence across ethno-religious lines. (Daily Post)

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is scheduled to visit Jos, Plateau State, on Saturday to attend the funeral prayers of Nana Lydia Yilwatda Goshwe, mother of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe. The President’s itinerary was confirmed in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed that Tinubu would depart Lagos for Jos to participate in the burial rites. According to Onanuga, the President will also address church leaders across the North at the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) headquarters before returning to Lagos the same day. Read Also: Tinubu, Ganduje Join Dignitaries at Uzodinma’s Book Launch in Imo Earlier, Tinubu extended his condolences to Prof. Yilwatda over his mother’s passing at the age of 83, describing her as “a woman of virtue who lived a life dedicated to faith, service, and community.” He prayed for her peaceful repose and urged the family to take solace in her enduring legacy. Tinubu’s visit comes months after he condemned renewed violence in Plateau State. In April, he decried attacks in Bassa Local Government Area that claimed over 50 lives, expressing sympathies to Governor Caleb Mutfwang and calling for strong political will to restore peace.