The Director-General of the Plateau State Peace Building Agency (PPBA), Dr. Julie G. Sandra, has sounded the alarm over the rising threat of violent extremism in Plateau State, urging stakeholders to adapt their peacebuilding approaches to the evolving dynamics of insecurity.
Speaking during the July edition of the Plateau Peace Architectural Forum held on Thursday, July 31, 2025, in Jos, Dr. Julie said recent patterns of violence suggest a shift from conventional communal conflicts to ideologically driven extremism.
“Last month, we observed that the conversations were no longer about intercommunal clashes or religious disputes alone. We began to see signs of ideologically driven violence and criminality that point to something deeper — an evolution into violent extremism,” she stated.
The forum, themed “Preventing Violent Extremism in Plateau State: Strengthening Community Resilience and Coordinated Action,” gathered a wide range of participants including peace practitioners, youth leaders, CSOs, government officials, and security agencies.
Dr. Julie emphasized the need to understand the nuances of these emerging threats to design effective responses. She highlighted the agency’s inclusion of youth voices in the peace process, stressing that young people should be repositioned as agents of peace, not tools of violence.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Boniface Anthony, Programme Manager of the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), warned against ignoring the deeper causes of violent extremism in Plateau, tracing them to identity crises, political exclusion, and systemic governance failures.
“Since 2001, Plateau has endured cycles of conflict that have now transformed into organized, ideologically charged violence. These aren’t just security concerns; they’re threats to community cohesion and democratic stability,” he said.
Mr. Anthony warned that the narratives fueling extremism are often local, feeding off frustrations over land disputes and political marginalization. He stressed the urgency of community-led responses rooted in justice, inclusion, and early intervention.
Judith Nendelmwa Remson of the PAVE Network, in her presentation, unpacked Nigeria’s National Action Plan on Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE), encouraging its localization to Plateau’s unique context.
“Our work must go beyond token responses. We need trust-building, youth empowerment, and inclusive governance that speaks to the realities of Plateau’s communities,” she added.
Also speaking, Mr. Peter Choji, Security Desk Officer of Kanam LGA, debunked recent media reports alleging the killing of vigilantes in Kukawa. He clarified that the deceased were Fulani militia who had migrated through Wase, not local vigilantes or residents.
The forum featured robust panel discussions and breakout sessions facilitated by Avizavi Christopher of the PPBA. Contributors including Mubarak Usman Ibrahim, Nafisat Abdulazeez, Hope Chuwang, and Shepherd Lander identified key drivers of radicalization: peer influence, poor parental oversight, ideological grooming in schools, and government inefficiencies.
Panelists emphasized the need for practical peace interventions — such as school-based peace clubs, civic education, interfaith dialogue, and trust-building between communities and state institutions.
Chairman of the Plateau Peace Practitioners Network, Nanmak D. Bali, praised the PPBA for consistently convening the monthly platform but urged a shift from talk to action.
“This forum is not just a talk shop; it is an incubator for solutions. But we must now act on our ideas. Twenty-five years of crisis prevention with no change is a call to do things differently,” he noted.
In her closing remarks, Dr. Julie reiterated the agency’s commitment to building a statewide movement of peace advocates. She described peacebuilding as a long-term journey, calling on all sectors to remain engaged.
“Peacebuilding is not a sprint but a marathon — and we must run it together,” she concluded.
Participants committed to post-forum actions including community sensitization campaigns, school outreach programs, and inter-group dialogue sessions, with a shared resolve to push back against the tide of extremism through coordinated, inclusive, and context-specific efforts.