The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has called for a tougher, coordinated security response to the persistent killings in Plateau State, warning that the violence has assumed the scale of a national emergency.
Yilwatda’s position came as he commended the visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the state following the recent attack in Angwan Rukuba, describing the move as a demonstration of empathy and responsive leadership.
However, beyond the symbolism of the visit, the APC chairman insisted that the situation requires more than expressions of sympathy, stressing the need for deliberate, intelligence-driven and result-oriented action to halt the cycle of violence.
He condemned the killings in strong terms, describing them as a grave assault on the conscience of the nation and a threat to unity.
According to him, “these evil perpetrators must no longer be shielded by silence, fear, complicity, or communal indifference. They must be identified, exposed, apprehended, and made to face the full wrath of the law.”
In a statement issued by his media adviser, Yilwatda argued that existing security approaches have proved inadequate, urging an urgent shift towards modern strategies driven by technology and real-time intelligence.
He advocated the deployment of advanced tools, including surveillance systems, drones and intelligence-gathering platforms, to strengthen proactive threat detection and response.
“The protection of lives cannot continue to rely solely on conventional methods. We must embrace innovation that can neutralise threats before they occur,” he said.
The APC chairman also called on community leaders to take greater responsibility for security within their domains, noting that the pattern of attacks suggests the involvement of identifiable actors rather than unknown assailants.
He warned that continued insecurity poses severe economic consequences for Plateau, particularly in critical sectors such as agriculture and tourism, stressing that no society can prosper under the weight of persistent violence.
“No economy can thrive where fear reigns, and no investment can flourish where blood is spilled,” he added.
Yilwatda therefore urged a united response involving traditional rulers, religious leaders, political actors and civil society groups to restore peace and rebuild public confidence.
During the President’s visit, he, alongside Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang and other stakeholders, met with victims’ families in a solemn moment that underscored the human cost of the crisis.
The APC maintained that the visit signals the Federal Government’s resolve to confront the killings with renewed urgency, expressing hope that ongoing engagements will produce lasting solutions anchored on justice, reconciliation and sustainable peace.
Reaffirming its stance, the party declared that the lives of Plateau citizens are non-negotiable and that perpetrators of violence must be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice.
