Reps Security Dialogue Pushes Legislative Reforms to End Plateau Crisis
By Comfort Pius
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives and key stakeholders have called for urgent legislative and structural reforms to halt persistent violence in Plateau State and the wider Middle Belt.
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The high-level security conference, which held on Tuesday in Jos, Plateau State, was organised by the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Security Challenges in Plateau State and Beyond. It brought together traditional rulers, religious leaders, security agencies, civil society actors, and victims under the theme, “Restoring Stability and Unity: A Multi-Stakeholder Special Dialogue on Security in Plateau State and Beyond.”
Declaring the conference open, Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, described the gathering as timely and necessary, noting that the situation in Plateau reflects a broader national concern requiring coordinated legislative and executive responses.
Represented by his deputy, Josephine Piyo, the governor said successive administrations had struggled to break recurring cycles of violence despite sustained efforts.
He said his administration has prioritised the protection of lives and property through the revitalisation of Operation Rainbow, recruitment of security personnel, and the establishment of a Plateau Activity Centre equipped with drone surveillance to strengthen coordinated operations.
According to him, over 300 operational vehicles belonging to security agencies have been refurbished, while motorcycles were procured to enhance rapid response in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
Mutfwang stressed that security extends beyond deployment of personnel to include justice, inclusion, economic opportunity, and public trust. He added that the state has reconstituted the Inter-Faith Advisory Council to foster dialogue, reconciliation, and mutual understanding among diverse groups.
Also speaking, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, represented by Hon. John Dafaan, described the conference as a decisive step by the legislature to confront insecurity.
He emphasised the National Assembly’s commitment to reforms that would prevent further loss of lives, outlining key measures including strengthening intelligence and early warning systems, reforming land governance, promoting inclusive peacebuilding platforms, and enhancing community policing.
Dafa’an reiterated legislative backing for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s push for the establishment of state police, while urging the empowerment of vigilante groups and traditional institutions within the ambit of the law.
Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee, Hon. Wale Hammed, said the House is determined to translate stakeholders’ inputs into concrete legislative actions.
He stressed that sustainable peace cannot be achieved through force alone but must be built on inclusion, dialogue, and trust, noting that the committee also provided closed-door sessions to allow for frank and sensitive testimonies.
Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, the Executive Chairman of Mangu Local Government Council, Hon. Emmanuel Bala Molpun, underscored the central role of legal frameworks in resolving the crisis.
Molpun said Nigeria’s security challenges, particularly in Plateau and the Middle Belt, can be significantly curtailed through proper legislation backed by strict enforcement.
“The strength of any democracy lies in the rule of law. Where there are clear laws and the political will to enforce them, insecurity can be drastically reduced,” he said.
He called for urgent laws regulating grazing and livestock management, linking persistent conflict to unregulated pastoral movements worsened by environmental pressures such as desertification.
“Without clear laws governing grazing and livestock movement, criminal elements will continue to exploit the system,” he warned.
Molpun cautioned that failure to act decisively could deepen instability, stressing the need for legal measures that regulate movement, protect host communities, and safeguard national security.
Participants at the conference echoed similar concerns, emphasising intelligence sharing, community-based policing, land reforms, and technology-driven early warning systems as critical to achieving lasting peace.
The committee said findings from its consultations across Plateau’s conflict-prone areas would inform concrete legislative proposals aimed at addressing the root causes of the crisis and preventing further violence in the state and beyond.