The Plateau State Government’s fact-finding committee, on Thursday, June 26, 2025, held three separate interactive sessions with key stakeholder groups—Plateau Initiative for the Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN), the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), and the JASAWA community—at the Plateau State Polytechnic, Jos campus.
Chairman of the committee, Major General Nicholas Rogas (Rtd), reiterated the committee’s purpose: to gather accurate, community-driven insights to guide the government’s peace building process. “We are not here to apportion blame but to listen to the real stories, the real pain, and the real needs of our people. Peace cannot be achieved by silence or force, but by truth, understanding, and cooperation,” he said.
PIDAN
Speaking for PIDAN, Ambassador Nanpon Danjuma Sheni appreciated Governor Caleb Mutfwang for setting up what he called “a committee of high integrity.” He identified the indigene-settler crisis as a fundamental issue fueling Plateau’s decades-long unrest.
“Even within Plateau, a person from one local government cannot claim indigeneship in another, no matter how long they have lived there,” he noted.
PIDAN Secretary-General Danjuma Dickson Auta stressed that without restoring ancestral lands to indigenous communities, peace may remain elusive. He also accused security agencies of bias, lamenting that while drones are used to track stolen cattle, similar urgency is not applied when attacks happen in native communities.
MACBAN
The Fulani community, under the umbrella of MACBAN and its allied groups, expressed relief at being invited to the discussion.
“We were initially worried the committee would sideline us. But today, we feel heard,” said Ibrahim Yusuf Babaye, Chairman of MACBAN Plateau chapter.
Babaye called for balanced justice, saying, “There is no party without fault. Denying that means we are not ready for peace. Youth leaders inciting others must be reminded of their responsibilities.”
MACBAN Secretary Mahmoud Sulisu Isa noted that Fulani herders have also been victims of attacks and displacement, sometimes from both natives and foreign pastoralists. “Our children are killed, our cows rustled, and our people denied basic services. We want peace too,” he said.
The group called for the establishment of clear grazing areas, education for herders, and the revival of traditional conflict-resolution mechanisms. They also urged the government to support the safe return of displaced Fulani to their former communities, while acknowledging the trauma and mistrust that complicate such returns.
JASAWA
In the final session, the JASAWA group—representing indigenous Hausa-Fulani and assimilated tribes—presented a nuanced account of the conflict’s historical roots and evolution.
Sani Sulaiman, Secretary-General of JASAWA, commended the committee’s composition and objectivity. “This is not the first committee set up on the Plateau conflict, but we hope this one will not be business as usual,” he said, urging that the findings lead to implementable solutions.
He traced the conflict’s transformation from urban, economic, and political rivalries to widespread rural violence. “From political appointments to access to education, many of our people are systematically excluded today, even though they contributed to the state’s development for decades,” he lamented.
JASAWA proposed the following:
- The Plateau Government must resist manipulation along ethnic or religious lines.
- Diversity management policies should be adopted to reduce segregation.
- Policies must be people-focused, especially for those who lost livelihoods.
- Crime should be addressed on the basis of law, not identity.
- Religious and traditional institutions should help mediate hate and trauma.
Committee Members
Several committee members offered reflections during the sessions.
Hon. Justice Esther Lolo stressed the need for forgiveness, noting that “some people carry 100-year-old grievances and project them onto today’s generation.”
Barr. Yakubu Bawa explained that being a long-term settler doesn’t automatically confer indigeneship, calling for nationwide engagement on the issue.
Dr. Gad Peter Shamaki, President of the University of Jos Alumni Association, emphasized youth inclusion in peace processes, describing them as both victims and actors. “Eighty to ninety percent of those fighting are youths. If they’re not educated and alive, no training or empowerment will succeed,” he said.
He also commended the governor for creating an inclusive committee, with only one out of ten members being a Plateau indigene—signaling neutrality and fairness.
Common Themes Across All Sessions
Across the three engagements, participants raised several shared concerns:
- Recurring attacks with little or no security response
- Land encroachments and ownership disputes
- Resettlement and rehabilitation of displaced persons
- Growing interethnic distrust, particularly among youths
- Weak implementation of past peace agreements
There were emotional testimonies from victims and community leaders, all urging the committee to recommend actionable and enforceable solutions to the state government.
Major General Rogas concluded the day’s engagements by thanking all groups for their candid submissions. “We are committed to producing a report that reflects the truth on the ground,” he said. “This crisis can no longer be ignored or politicized. Plateau belongs to all of us — we must save it together.”