Over 28 people were killed in an attack on Angwan Rukuba on March 29, an incident Senator Diket Plang has labeled an act of terrorism. Representing Plateau Central, Plang condemned the violence, describing the recurring bloodshed in Plateau State and surrounding areas as exhausting for all. He stated that the frequency and brutality of the attacks have reached a point where citizens are no longer safe. Speaking to journalists, Plang emphasized that such violence cannot be dismissed as mere conflict but must be recognized for what it is—terrorism. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and security forces have not yet made any arrests. The senator called for a more robust response from national security agencies to prevent further loss of life. Residents of the area remain on edge, with many expressing fear over the lack of protection. The federal government has yet to issue an official statement on the incident. An investigation is expected to begin soon, though no timeline has been provided.
When Senator Plang calls the Angwan Rukuba killings an act of terrorism, he is forcing a label the government has long avoided applying to violence in the Middle Belt. That refusal has allowed similar attacks to be downplayed as communal clashes, even as bodies pile up. Naming it terrorism changes the frame—it demands a different kind of response, one that can't be fudged with half-measures or silence. If the state agrees, then the security apparatus must act like it means it this time.
