Plateau Insecurity: NBA Demands State Police, Military Base at Pai River Game Reserve
By Comfort Pius, Jos
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Plateau State branches, has called for greater operational control of security by state governments and the establishment of a military formation at the Pai River Game Reserve to tackle persistent insecurity in the state.
The association made the call on Monday, September 28, 2026, during a joint press conference by NBA branches in Plateau State at the NUJ Secretariat, Jos, where it expressed concern over the continued attacks on communities in parts of the state.
The NBA said the recurring attacks in Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Riyom, and Bokkos Local Government Areas had resulted in loss of lives and property, raising serious concerns about the ability of government to fulfill its constitutional responsibility to protect citizens.
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Citing Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which guarantees the right to life, the lawyers said the protection of lives and property remained one of the fundamental responsibilities of government.
The association condemned what it described as sustained attacks on law-abiding citizens, noting that some recent attacks allegedly occurred despite the imposition of curfews in affected areas.
It specifically cited the killing of community vigilantes at Kikyau village in Mangu Local Government Area during curfew hours, as well as reported attacks in Kantoma and Bin-Per villages in Mangu, and Kassa, Wereh, Ropp, Fan and Marit communities in Barkin Ladi.
According to the NBA, the continued attacks and the inability to prevent perpetrators from operating freely risk undermining public confidence in government and creating conditions for a breakdown of law and order.
The association also alleged that some communities in Plateau State had been displaced over the years, with their lands allegedly forcefully occupied and renamed by invaders, leaving survivors displaced.
On the Federal Government, the NBA commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for visiting Plateau State to condole with victims of the killings in Jos North Local Government Area and for steps towards the establishment of State Police.
It also acknowledged the Federal Government’s proposed security training initiative for Nigerians, as recently suggested by the Minister of Defence.
However, the association urged President Tinubu to sponsor an Executive Bill to the National Assembly to place security more substantially on the Concurrent Legislative List and give state governors greater control over security operations within their respective states.
The NBA argued that state governors currently bear the designation of chief security officers of their states without corresponding operational control over federal security agencies.
It further called for better equipment, motivation, discipline, and professionalism among the Armed Forces and paramilitary agencies, while urging authorities to address allegations of bias and compromise in security operations in Plateau State.
The lawyers also demanded stronger border surveillance, particularly around communities sharing boundaries with Plateau, Bauchi, and Taraba states.
They cited the Garga community in Kanam Local Government Area as one of the communities affected by criminal activities along the inter-state borders and called for increased security presence in the area.
The association further urged the Federal Government to degazette the forest around the Pai River Game Reserve and establish a military formation there, alleging that the area serves as a hideout for bandits and other criminal elements operating around the Plateau-Bauchi-Taraba axis.
On the Plateau State Government, the NBA commended Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s administration for revamping Operation Rainbow and the Neighbourhood Watch, training 2,000 personnel of the Neighbourhood Watch and Hunters, and procuring security vehicles, including gun trucks, trucks, and motorcycles for patrol operations.
It also acknowledged the establishment of a command and central monitoring centre in Jos, the constitution of a committee on the creation of a State Police Service, the ban on illegal mining, and the prohibition of Hisbah operations in the state.
The association, however, called on the state government to facilitate the licensing of Operation Rainbow and Neighbourhood Watch personnel to operate approved kinetic facilities under the supervision of frontline security agencies attached to the Operation Rainbow command.
It also urged the government to amend the Plateau State Operation Rainbow law to accommodate the proposal and other strategies aimed at strengthening community security.
The NBA further called for the implementation of the state’s Anti-Land Grabbing Law and urged the state government to provide structures for established police divisions and Forward Operating Bases across Plateau State.
It also advocated greater security cooperation among Plateau, Bauchi, and Taraba states in addressing threats along their common borders.
At the local government and community levels, the NBA urged council chairmen to reside within their areas of jurisdiction to improve governance, intelligence gathering, and coordination with the state government.
It called on communities to strengthen intelligence gathering and lawful self-protection against non-state actors, while cautioning citizens against spreading unverified information, making inflammatory comments, or taking the law into their own hands.
The association also urged traditional rulers to protect the property of their subjects, monitor the influx of unidentified persons into their communities, and report suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities.
The NBA further criticised what it described as the relocation of security vehicles procured by the state government from rural flashpoints to the state capital.
It demanded that the vehicles be immediately deployed to vulnerable areas to enable security personnel to respond to attacks in real time.
The lawyers also called for tighter control over the production and distribution of military uniforms, ammunition, and other security accoutrements to prevent criminals from impersonating security personnel.
They urged security agencies to investigate cases where personnel allegedly arrived at attack scenes after attackers had withdrawn and to sanction any officers found culpable.
The association further advocated periodic redeployment of security personnel who had stayed for long periods in particular communities, saying this would help prevent excessive familiarity and possible compromise with criminal elements.
On the judiciary, the NBA called for speedy determination of terrorism-related criminal cases, saying prolonged trials could undermine public confidence in the justice system.
It also urged lawyers to comply with professional ethics and called for sanctions against practitioners found to be deliberately delaying the dispensation of justice.
The association further called for the publication of outcomes of trials involving alleged sponsors and other actors in terrorism before judicial and quasi-judicial bodies to strengthen public confidence in the justice sector.
The NBA said its branches in Plateau remained committed to using the expertise of lawyers in criminal law, constitutional law, human rights, public-interest litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and legal aid to support lawful responses to insecurity.
It pledged to work with government institutions, security agencies, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, and affected communities to promote access to justice, document credible evidence of atrocities, strengthen strategic litigation, and pursue appropriate legal mechanisms for accountability.
The association also said it would support lawful efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute persons who finance, sponsor, facilitate, or otherwise aid terrorism and other violent crimes where sufficient evidence exists.
It promised to advocate protection for witnesses and victims, legal support for vulnerable and displaced persons, and institutional reforms aimed at preventing impunity and recurrence.
The NBA said its commitment was not only to condemn violence but also to deploy legal advocacy, professional expertise and public-interest engagement towards building a safer and more peaceful Plateau State.
The joint press conference was signed by Morgan I. Dung, Chairman, NBA Jos Branch; Selven D. Zingman, Chairman, NBA Pankshin Branch; Lucy Pam-Fom Bot, Chairman, NBA Bukuru Branch; and Sylvia Kumtong, Chairman, NBA Shendam Branch.
