Twelve individuals were arrested in Jos, Plateau State, after attempting to incite violence in the Zololo area shortly after Jumat prayers, according to Police Commissioner Bassey Ewah. The suspects, armed with sticks, were intercepted while trying to cross into the Nasarawa area of the city. Their arrest followed heightened security after last Sunday's killing in a Jos community, which sparked rising tensions. Ewah stated that the suspects were apprehended about 30 minutes after prayers and would be prosecuted. He credited the swift response to increased security presence following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's visit to Plateau on Thursday. Four mobile police units and over 300 additional officers have since been deployed across the state. Joint patrols involving all security agencies are now ongoing to respond rapidly to any threats. Ewah described the Jumat prayers as peaceful and reaffirmed the police commitment to maintaining order. A curfew remains in effect from 3 p.m. daily, alongside enforcement of bans on okada and restricted movement of keke napep.
Bassey Ewah's public accounting of arrests and troop deployments reads less like routine policing and more like political theatre. The timing—just after the president's visit—suggests these actions are as much about optics as they are about security. For residents of Jos, another round of curfews and vehicle bans means disrupted livelihoods, not lasting safety. Without addressing the root causes of recurring violence, this show of force changes little on the ground.
