A public policy expert and social entrepreneur, Dr. Barth Shepkong, has called for a fundamental shift in Plateau State’s approach to security, urging authorities and other stakeholders to move from reactive responses to violence towards measurable prevention and accountability.
Shepkong made the call in a position article titled “Enough: Plateau Cannot Keep Burying Its People,” in which he argued that recurring attacks and loss of lives require more than condolences, condemnation and emergency responses.
According to him, the critical issue should not only be how authorities respond after attacks but whether institutions are developing the capacity to prevent violence, protect vulnerable communities, apprehend perpetrators and ensure justice.
He said the security situation should be addressed beyond political, ethnic or religious considerations, stressing that the responsibility to protect human lives remains constant irrespective of changes in government or political leadership.
Security must be measured by outcomes
Shepkong argued that public institutions should ultimately be assessed by the results they produce, particularly in the areas of security and protection of lives and property.
He raised questions about the availability and use of intelligence before attacks, the speed of security responses, arrests made following attacks, prosecution of suspects and the number of cases that result in convictions.
“These are not partisan questions. They are governance questions,” he said.
He proposed a security accountability chain covering prevention, response, investigation, prosecution, justice and prevention of recurrence, arguing that repeated failures at any stage should attract legitimate public scrutiny.
Government responsibilities
While acknowledging that the Plateau State Government does not exercise operational command over the major federal security agencies, Shepkong said this does not remove the state’s responsibilities for coordination, community intelligence, early warning mechanisms, emergency preparedness and engagement with federal security institutions.
He said federal security agencies should also be accountable for intelligence gathering, deployment, operational responses, investigations and arrests.
The justice system, he added, must equally account for what happens after arrests are made.
“Justice requires more than announcements. It requires credible investigations, lawful prosecution, and accountability grounded in evidence,” he said.
Call to break recurring cycle
Shepkong described the recurring pattern of violence, condolences, curfews, political arguments and eventual silence before another attack as a cycle that should not become normal in Plateau State.
While acknowledging that curfews and emergency deployments may sometimes be necessary, he maintained that measures taken after violence occurs cannot replace effective prevention.
He called for security institutions to strengthen their ability to identify threats, disrupt attacks before they occur, respond rapidly when communities are threatened, professionally investigate crimes and ensure that credible cases proceed through the justice system.
He therefore urged Plateau to move from a reactive security conversation to a preventive security culture, supported by measurable accountability.
According to him, transparency does not require the disclosure of sensitive intelligence but should demonstrate that institutions are learning from previous incidents, adapting their strategies and producing measurable results.
Civic leaders have role to play
Shepkong also called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, political actors, community organisations and youth groups to contribute to peace and security by strengthening trust, promoting lawful intelligence sharing, discouraging retaliation and preventing tensions from escalating.
He urged political actors to avoid exploiting human suffering for partisan purposes and appealed to citizens not to view every tragedy solely through ethnic, religious or political lenses.
“Grief has no ethnicity. A widow’s tears have no denomination,” he said.
Seven-point action framework
Shepkong proposed a new security framework for Plateau State centred on:
- Intelligence gathering before attacks;
- Prevention before funerals;
- Rapid response when communities are threatened;
- Professional investigation after crimes;
- Prosecution where evidence establishes responsibility;
- Justice for victims; and
- Measurable accountability throughout the security and justice system.
He said government, security agencies, the justice system, traditional institutions, faith leaders and civic organisations each have distinct responsibilities in addressing insecurity and none should be allowed to hide behind the failures of another.
Shepkong concluded that the real challenge before Plateau was not the state’s ability to mourn victims of violence, but its capacity to build institutions and relationships strong enough to prevent future attacks.
“Enough cannot remain the language of grief. It must become the language of action,” he said.
He added that Plateau’s future should be built through security, justice, trust and a commitment to protecting every human life.
Dr. Barth Shepkong is The President of the Plateau State Association USA (PSA-USA), and a Public Policy Expert, CEO of Ohio African Chamber and Social Entrepreneur.
