Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has revealed that almost 12,000 people were killed in violent attacks across the state between 2001 and May 2025, with more than 420 communities affected.
The governor, represented by Deputy Governor Ngo Josephine Piyo, presented the figures on Thursday at the North-Central Zonal Public Hearing of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on the National Security Summit held in Jos.
Mutfwang said available data indicates that many of the attacks were coordinated and sustained by groups pursuing economic, political, territorial and religious objectives. He added that criminal networks have exploited mining sites across the state, using proceeds from illegal operations to acquire arms and drugs despite ongoing enforcement efforts.
He lamented widespread displacement, destruction of farmlands, land grabbing and the erosion of cultural and economic stability in many communities. He also questioned whether governments at all levels have fulfilled their constitutional responsibility to ensure the security and welfare of citizens.
Calling for unity, he urged Nigerians to stop comparing casualties along ethnic or religious lines and instead work together to confront the crisis.
The public hearing drew federal lawmakers, security analysts, traditional rulers, civil society groups and community representatives to discuss security challenges in the region.
Leading the North-Central delegation, Senator Abba Moro said the summit was organised to gather community-level insights into insecurity affecting rural and urban areas. He identified insurgency, banditry, farmer–herder clashes, kidnapping, militancy, arms proliferation and destruction of farmland as urgent concerns driven by complex socio-economic and historical factors.
He assured that submissions from the hearing would guide legislative actions, budget decisions and reforms aimed at strengthening national security.
The Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN), represented by Dara Gyang Dudu, submitted detailed records of repeated attacks in Irigwe, Mupun, Mwaghavul, Bokkos and other communities. The group called for the protection of native land rights, mutual respect between settlers and hosts, and full adherence to constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.
Reverend Gideon Para-Mallam of the Para-Mallam Peace Foundation advocated constitutional decentralisation of security to include national, state, local and community policing models. He also called for a national resettlement programme for displaced persons and strict measures against land grabbing.
Chairman of the summit, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, expressed optimism that the collective contributions would support sustained solutions for Plateau State and the wider North-Central region.
