NIPSS Director-General Apologises to Berom People Over Post-Attack Remarks

The Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Professor Ayo Omotayo, issued a public apology to the Berom people of Plateau State on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, over remarks he made during a television interview in the immediate aftermath of the June 2026 attempted attack on the NIPSS facility in Kuru, near Jos.

Vanguard reported that Omotayo’s post-attack interview comments were interpreted by Berom community leaders as stigmatising the community by association with the security incident, causing significant offence and prompting formal protests from Berom representatives. The DG said his remarks were not intended to cast aspersions on the Berom people or any specific community and that he deeply regretted any hurt or misunderstanding they caused.

Attack Raised Institutional Security Concerns

The June 2026 gunmen attack on the NIPSS facility in Kuru killed three security operatives, including two soldiers and a police officer, before tactical teams repelled the assailants. NIPSS itself had moved quickly to assure participants, staff, and the public that no personnel or facilities inside the institute were harmed and that normal activities continued after the incident.

The Berom community had expressed frustration that remarks made by senior government officials in the wake of security incidents in Plateau State repeatedly implied community association with the violence rather than recognising the Berom as one of the communities most victimised by recurring attacks in the area. Omotayo’s apology was welcomed by Berom leaders as a step toward restoring goodwill between NIPSS and its host community.

Plateau Security Remains Tense

The apology comes as Plateau State continues to grapple with persistent security violence. Gunmen killed 22 people in Kawel village, Bokkos LGA, on June 21, and a separate attack in Barkin Ladi killed six more days later. Furthermore, security forces maintained heightened patrols across Plateau following multiple incidents. Notably, Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo used a recent Jos visit to call for more decisive federal action on insecurity in Plateau. Consequently, the NIPSS DG’s apology is a social repair effort arriving during an exceptionally tense security environment in the state.