The Chairman of the Plateau State Special Fact-Finding Committee and former Commander of Operation Safe Haven, Gen. Rogers Nicholas (retd.), has called on government at all levels to adopt grassroots-driven security reforms and enforce the state’s anti-land grabbing law to tackle the persistent violence in Plateau State.
Nicholas made the call in Abuja during a special security conference organised by the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Plateau Security, where he shared firsthand insights from his tenure managing security operations in the state and presented key recommendations from months of field consultations.
He described the Plateau crisis as a complex web of historical grievances, ethnic tensions, land disputes, open grazing conflicts, systemic poverty, illegal mining, youth unemployment, porous borders, and a weak criminal justice system.
“One of the key drivers of this crisis is the cycle of reprisal attacks — farmer-herder clashes that quickly escalate into community-wide violence,” Nicholas said.
The retired general recalled that during his time as commander, he prioritised community trust-building and engagement, convening town hall meetings with local and Fulani leaders and introducing community-based compensation systems for incidents such as cattle rustling and crop destruction.
While those measures produced temporary peace, Nicholas lamented that most were discontinued after his tenure, resulting in renewed tensions.
Presenting the committee’s major recommendations, he said, “We propose the establishment of Peace and Security Committees in every community, headed by traditional rulers and inclusive of all ethnic and religious groups; strict enforcement and review of the Plateau State Anti-Land Grabbing Law (2022); and the creation of designated grazing routes and ranching areas in collaboration with local authorities.”
He also urged the strengthening of the criminal justice system with stiffer penalties for cattle rustling, illegal arms possession, and farmland destruction.
Other recommendations included the formation of an Interstate Joint Security Task Force involving neighbouring states — Kaduna, Nasarawa, Taraba, and Bauchi — to curb cross-border attacks; integration of local vigilante groups into formal security structures like Operation Rainbow; and investment in rural communication infrastructure to enable rapid response to security threats.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the House Ad Hoc Committee, Hon. Wale Ahmed (Agege), reaffirmed the resolve of the National Assembly to unravel the root causes of Plateau’s protracted violence and propose actionable solutions.
“These opportunities have been given to us by the House to determine the causes of the perpetual cycle of violence in Plateau State and identify practical ways forward,” Ahmed said.
He disclosed that in the course of its work, the committee had sent 237 letters to institutions and individuals across Plateau State, out of which 47 responses had been received.
Respondents, according to him, included the Plateau State House of Assembly, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Muslim Youth Foundation, University of Jos Centre for Conflict Management, Operation Rainbow, Miyetti Allah, traditional councils, emirates, and security agencies.
Ahmed added that the committee also visited former Governor Joshua Dariye, who led the state during the 2001 Jos crisis, to draw from his experience.
He concluded by emphasising that the committee would continue to engage civil society organisations, traditional rulers, and security agencies to ensure its final report reflects the collective will of the Plateau people.
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