GOVERNOR MUTFWANG CALLS FOR STRATEGIC EFFORTS TO END INSECURITY ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL REGION OF NIGERIA
Plateau State Governor, His Excellency, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, Esq, has called for a regional security strategy to confront the wave of insecurity threatening communities, livelihoods and development across the North Central geopolitical zone of the country.
Governor Mutfwang made the call on Monday August 31, 2026 while participating as a panellist at the 2026 North Central Security Summit held in Makurdi, Benue State, organised by the Ministry of Defense in collaboration with the office of the Senior Secial Assistant to the President on community Engagement (North Central). The stakeholders examined the security challenges confronting the region and explored collective measures for addressing them.
The Governor stressed that the scale and pattern of insecurity in the North Central required states in the region to move beyond isolated responses and adopt a united and intelligence-driven approach.
He challenged the often used description of the violence as merely farmer-herder clashes, arguing that the nature of attacks recorded in several communities suggested a more organised threat that must be treated with the seriousness it deserved.
Mutfwang described the situation as an invasion of communities and a threat to national sovereignty, particularly where vulnerable populations were deliberately targeted and displaced from their ancestral homes.
Reflecting on the security situation in Plateau State, the Governor observed that many displaced persons remained unable to return to their communities because the security conditions necessary for safe and sustainable resettlement had yet to be fully established.
According to him, leaders must confront insecurity with honesty, courage and urgency, given its far-reaching consequences for poverty, economic deprivation, food production and development.
"Leaders must confront insecurity with honesty and a sense of urgency because of its effects on poverty, economic deprivation and development."
"Security agencies must move beyond reactionary responses and trace attackers to their sources and routes."
The Governor further raised concerns over the movement of armed attackers into Plateau State through routes connecting parts of the North-West with Taraba and Nasarawa States, exploiting porous borders and difficult to monitor corridors.
He therefore called for strengthened intelligence gathering, inter-state cooperation and coordinated operations among security agencies to identify and disrupt the routes used by attackers.
Governor Mutfwang also emphasized that security agencies should intensify efforts to dislodge criminal elements from their hideouts and prevent them from establishing permanent footholds in communities.
He advocated closer collaboration among North Central states, military formations, the police and other security agencies, as well as neighbouring states and regions, to block the movement of armed groups across territorial boundaries.
The Governor equally maintained that insecurity must be viewed as a collective threat to the existence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation, rather than being treated simply as ordinary criminality or isolated communal disputes.
Speaking at the summit, the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd.), said the gathering was convened to provide an opportunity for government and security stakeholders to hear directly from people in the region about the realities of the threats confronting their communities.
Musa said the summit was also designed to build a common understanding and develop practical approaches towards addressing the security challenges facing the North Central.
The Defense Minister noted that security remained a collective responsibility, commending the people of the region for refusing to give up in the face of persistent challenges, stressing the importance of creating a secure environment where farmers could safely access their farms and communities.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening security across the country and addressing the challenges that undermine peace, livelihoods and national development.
Other dignitaries at the summit included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume; the host Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia; and the Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule. The Governors of Kogi and Niger States were represented at the summit by their respective delegates.
Gyang Bere, PhD
Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Executive Governor of Plateau State
August 31, 2026
Plateau State Governor, His Excellency, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, Esq, has called for a regional security strategy to confront the wave of insecurity threatening communities, livelihoods and development across the North Central geopolitical zone of the country.
Governor Mutfwang made the call on Monday August 31, 2026 while participating as a panellist at the 2026 North Central Security Summit held in Makurdi, Benue State, organised by the Ministry of Defense in collaboration with the office of the Senior Secial Assistant to the President on community Engagement (North Central). The stakeholders examined the security challenges confronting the region and explored collective measures for addressing them.
The Governor stressed that the scale and pattern of insecurity in the North Central required states in the region to move beyond isolated responses and adopt a united and intelligence-driven approach.
He challenged the often used description of the violence as merely farmer-herder clashes, arguing that the nature of attacks recorded in several communities suggested a more organised threat that must be treated with the seriousness it deserved.
Mutfwang described the situation as an invasion of communities and a threat to national sovereignty, particularly where vulnerable populations were deliberately targeted and displaced from their ancestral homes.
Reflecting on the security situation in Plateau State, the Governor observed that many displaced persons remained unable to return to their communities because the security conditions necessary for safe and sustainable resettlement had yet to be fully established.
According to him, leaders must confront insecurity with honesty, courage and urgency, given its far-reaching consequences for poverty, economic deprivation, food production and development.
"Leaders must confront insecurity with honesty and a sense of urgency because of its effects on poverty, economic deprivation and development."
"Security agencies must move beyond reactionary responses and trace attackers to their sources and routes."
The Governor further raised concerns over the movement of armed attackers into Plateau State through routes connecting parts of the North-West with Taraba and Nasarawa States, exploiting porous borders and difficult to monitor corridors.
He therefore called for strengthened intelligence gathering, inter-state cooperation and coordinated operations among security agencies to identify and disrupt the routes used by attackers.
Governor Mutfwang also emphasized that security agencies should intensify efforts to dislodge criminal elements from their hideouts and prevent them from establishing permanent footholds in communities.
He advocated closer collaboration among North Central states, military formations, the police and other security agencies, as well as neighbouring states and regions, to block the movement of armed groups across territorial boundaries.
The Governor equally maintained that insecurity must be viewed as a collective threat to the existence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation, rather than being treated simply as ordinary criminality or isolated communal disputes.
Speaking at the summit, the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd.), said the gathering was convened to provide an opportunity for government and security stakeholders to hear directly from people in the region about the realities of the threats confronting their communities.
Musa said the summit was also designed to build a common understanding and develop practical approaches towards addressing the security challenges facing the North Central.
The Defense Minister noted that security remained a collective responsibility, commending the people of the region for refusing to give up in the face of persistent challenges, stressing the importance of creating a secure environment where farmers could safely access their farms and communities.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening security across the country and addressing the challenges that undermine peace, livelihoods and national development.
Other dignitaries at the summit included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume; the host Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia; and the Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule. The Governors of Kogi and Niger States were represented at the summit by their respective delegates.
Gyang Bere, PhD
Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Executive Governor of Plateau State
August 31, 2026
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