Jos – Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has raised fresh alarm over the scale and persistence of insecurity in the State, revealing that nearly 12,000 people killed between 2001 and May 2025, and at least 420 communities have been attacked, leaving behind widespread displacement, loss of livelihoods, and deepened humanitarian crises.

 

The Governor, represented by his Deputy, Ngo Josephine Piyo, presented the statistics on Thursday during the North-Central Zonal Public Hearing of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on the National Security Summit, held in Jos.

 

 

 

He said available evidence shows that many of the attacks were not isolated but rather deliberate, coordinated and sustained by actors pursuing economic, political, territorial and religious interests.

 

He added that criminal groups also exploit mining sites across Plateau, using proceeds from illegal operations to procure arms and drugs, despite government enforcement efforts.

 

Mutfwang lamented the scale of displacement, land grabbing and the destruction of farmlands, stressing that the insecurity has stripped many communities of their cultural heritage and economic stability.

 

He questioned whether governments at all levels have fulfilled their constitutional responsibility under Section 14(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which places security and welfare of the people as the primary purpose of government.

 

 

A cross-section of participants at the summit

He cautioned against divisive rhetoric and urged unity in tackling the crisis saying, “It is time to stop comparing casualty figures across ethnic or religious divides. It is time to unite, join hands and confront this menace collectively.”

 

The public hearing, organised by the 10th Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on the National Security Summit, drew federal lawmakers, security experts, traditional rulers, civil society organisations and community representatives to deliberate on the region’s most pressing security challenges.

 

Leading the North-Central delegation, Senator Abba Moro said the summit was convened to gather grassroots perspectives on insecurity affecting both rural and urban communities.

 

He listed insurgency, banditry, farmer–herder conflicts, kidnapping, militancy, arms proliferation and destruction of farmlands as threats requiring urgent and inclusive responses.

 

 

According to him, today’s insecurity is driven by complex factors including economic deprivation, porous borders, youth unemployment, environmental degradation and unresolved historical grievances.

 

He assured participants that their submissions would influence legislative interventions, guide budgetary decisions and shape policy reforms that strengthen national security.

 

In its memorandum, the Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN), represented by Dara Gyang Dudu, presented detailed data on repeated, coordinated attacks across Irigwe, Mupun, Mwaghavul, Bokkos and other communities.

 

PIDAN advocated the protection of native land rights, mutual respect between settlers and hosts and complete adherence to constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.

 

Reverend Gideon Para-Mallam of the Para-Mallam Peace Foundation called for constitutional decentralisation of the security architecture to include national, state, local government and community policing.

 

He also pressed for a national resettlement programme to ensure the safe return of internally displaced persons and the criminalisation of land grabbing.

 

The summit, chaired by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, gave the hope that collective insights will guide sustainable solutions for Plateau State and the wider North-Central region.