Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State defended his decision to speak from an armoured vehicle during a visit to Angwan Rukuba, where 30 people were killed in a Palm Sunday attack. He said the armoured troop carrier (ATC) was used as an elevated platform so he could be seen and heard by the crowd. In a Channels TV interview, Mutfwang explained, "From the height I stood, part of the reason they put me in the ATC was for me to gain height in order to address the crowd." He stressed that he spent 90 per cent of his time on the ground among residents, viewing corpses and appealing for calm.
Protesters at the scene shouted at Mutfwang, accusing him of lying and demanding he come down from the vehicle. "Come down to address us. We will not listen to you," some yelled, while others chanted in Hausa, "It is a lie. It is lie." The governor responded, "If you keep quiet, I will come to wherever you want me to come." He criticised social media users for focusing on the brief moment he spoke from the vehicle, saying, "You could see that social media can take a small portion and misrepresent it completely." He maintained that he felt safe among the people, but security operatives insisted on the use of the armoured vehicle.
Caleb Mutfwang speaking from an armoured vehicle while grieving residents chant "It is a lie" captures a moment of profound disconnect. His explanation about needing height to be heard rings hollow when the real issue was not visibility, but perceived detachment. When a governor is physically elevated above victims of violence, the optics reinforce a sense of separation, regardless of how much time he later spends on the ground. For Nigerians, this moment illustrates how leaders can be present in body but absent in trust.
