President Bola Tinubu on Thursday ordered the installation of over 5,000 surveillance cameras in Plateau State following the recent killings in Jos.
Tinubu gave the directive during a town hall meeting with political and traditional leaders in Jos, days after the Palm Sunday attack in Angwan Rukuba, which left over 27 people dead.
“The Honourable Minister for Communication is here to give you assurance that we are going to install immediately a network of cameras that will help the law enforcement agencies to identify the troublemakers instantly, over 5,000 of that,” Tinubu stated as he invited the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, to explain the plan.
The President acknowledged that no amount of money could compensate victims for their losses but promised government support.
Tinubu also directed security chiefs, including the Inspector-General of Police and the Chief of Defence Staff, to arrest those responsible for the attack.
“I thank the men and women of the armed forces, particularly the police, for what they are doing and what they are about to do.
“You must unearth and find the killers. I’m glad IGP is here. I’m glad the Chief of Defence Staff is here too. I’m glad the Minister of Defence is here,” the President stated.
The President announced plans to set up a committee to assess losses suffered by victims and recommend compensation.
“Immediately we return to Abuja, the committee, as mentioned, will include the governor and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs. Come see me. Take numeric analysis. You are a data person for the victims.
“Let’s see what we can do for their losses. We cannot replace human beings, but whatever we can do to give them minimum comfort, we will,” Tinubu said.
During the meeting, Tinubu sympathised with victims, including a woman identified as Rhoda, who lost her son in the attack.
He said while the government could not replace lives lost, it would provide support to affected families.
The Minister of Communications, Bosun Tijani, said the cameras would be powered by artificial intelligence and deployed across the state, starting with Jos.
According to him, the technology would enable real-time monitoring and faster response to security threats.
“We will work with the governor to ensure that we can deepen the digital infrastructure that we have.
“But on top of that, as well, we will have a network of artificial intelligence-enabled cameras all over the state, starting with Jos,” the minister stated.
Tijani emphasised that the promise was not empty, noting that similar solutions are already operational in other Nigerian states.
He said, “We already have similar solutions in states like Lagos. I think the latest one in Nigeria is in Enugu. I’ve been there. It works really well.”
The minister expressed personal anguish over the continued violence in Jos after more than two decades.
“It breaks my heart, personally, that this is still going on after so many years, and we will put everything under my ministry to support this cause,” Tijani declared.
Plateau State has witnessed recurring violence over the years, often linked to communal and ethnic tensions.