Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, has raised fresh alarm over the scale and persistence of insecurity in the state, revealing that at least 420 communities have been attacked and nearly 12,000 people killed between 2001 and May 2025, with livelihoods wiped out across multiple localities.
Speaking through his deputy, Her Excellency Ngo Josephine Piyo, the governor presented the grim statistics during the North-Central Zonal Public Hearing of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on the National Security Summit, currently holding at Crispan Hotel and Suites, Rayfield, Jos.
Governor Mutfwang said available evidence shows that most of the deadly assaults on communities were not random or isolated, but instead deliberate, coordinated and sustained by multiple actors pursuing economic, territorial, religious and political interests.
He explained that the routes of infiltration, patterns of destruction, and strategies of occupation point to a broader agenda of destabilization that demands decisive and multidimensional responses.
“Additionally, a common feature of the plight of rural communities is displacement and land grabbing, leading to the loss of livelihoods, land, and cultural heritage,” he said.
The governor further lamented that criminal groups continue to exploit mining sites, using proceeds from illegal operations to procure arms and drugs. Despite government efforts — including mining bans and regulatory enforcement — he said deep-rooted ties between illegal mining and organized criminal networks remain a major challenge.
Governor Mutfwang welcomed the Senate’s initiative to convene the security public hearing, expressing confidence that the engagement will significantly contribute to lasting solutions to what he described as a national calamity.
He also cautioned against divisive rhetoric or comparing casualty figures across religious or ethnic lines, stressing that the time has come for all citizens to unite and confront the menace collectively.
The governor sincerely appreciated the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and other principal officers of the National Assembly for hosting the public hearing in Jos, describing the city as a symbolic choice given its history as an epicentre of some of the most severe criminal incidents in the past three decades.
Declaring the Summit open, Governor Mutfwang urged all stakeholders to contribute constructively, emphasizing the need for honest dialogue and practical recommendations that would restore peace, security, and socio-economic stability to Plateau State and Nigeria at large.
Groups and organizations expected to make presentations at the hearing include PIDAN, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), and the Para-Mallam Foundation, among others.
The one-day Security Summit is being chaired by Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee, with Senator Abba Moro, Senate Minority Leader, also in attendance. The hearing is poised to provide critical insights into the complex security challenges facing Plateau State and the broader North-Central region.