Governors Hyacinth Alia of Benue State and Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State have thrown down the gauntlet, calling for a serious shift in how insecurity is tackled across Nigeria's North-Central region. Forget isolated responses, they say, because the waves of banditry, terrorism, and violent extremism hitting communities demand a united front. This call came loud and clear on Monday at the North Central Regional Security Summit in Makurdi, an event put together by the Federal Ministry of Defence and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, with Benue State Government chipping in too.
The summit, which buzzed with activity at the Benue State Government House, wasn't just for show. It brought together heavyweights like the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, who was representing President Bola Tinubu, alongside other regional governors, top security brass, and crucial community and religious leaders. The main point of discussion? How to build a stronger, collaborative approach to security and regional stability in a zone plagued by everything from farmer-herder clashes that are often much more than they seem, to outright kidnapping and the dangerous spillover of extremism.
Governor Mutfwang minced no words, pointing out that labelling the violence as mere farmer-herder disputes just doesn't cut it anymore. He described the attacks as outright invasions, threatening the very sovereignty of communities and forcefully displacing people from their ancestral lands. He stressed that leaders can't afford to look away or pretend this isn't urgent. "Leaders must confront insecurity with honesty and a sense of urgency because of its effects on poverty, economic deprivation and development," he stated. He also demanded that security agencies stop just reacting and actually chase these attackers back to their bases.
For Plateau, Mutfwang explained how armed groups are exploiting the porous borders and difficult-to-track corridors linking the North-West with Taraba and Nasarawa states to launch attacks. He's pushing for better intelligence gathering, more cooperation between states, and coordinated operations to shut down these routes and flush out criminal hideouts before they become permanent fixtures. He highlighted the sad reality that many displaced persons in Plateau can't even think about returning home because the conditions for a safe return just aren't there yet.
Governor Alia, who proudly hosted the event in Makurdi, believes that bringing traditional rulers and people living in border communities into the security loop is key. These are the folks who often see trouble brewing first. "The moment we set aside our differences to confront the enemy of insecurity, half the battle is already won," he declared. Alia argues that simply deploying soldiers won't solve the deep-rooted problems and that getting communities involved and sharing intelligence is crucial. He also brought up the need to tackle the socioeconomic issues like poverty and idleness that often push people towards crime.
Alia underscored the critical importance of the North-Central region, not just for its own sake, but for Nigeria as a whole. "When the North-central is insecure, it is not only our problem; the whole country feels it on its dining table," he asserted, highlighting the region's vital role in feeding the nation and its rich mineral resources. He specifically pushed for Benue to host because of the persistent security headaches along the Benue-Plateau axis. He urged everyone at the summit to ensure that the discussions led to concrete actions, not just paper resolutions that get forgotten.
The organizers' aim with this summit was to decentralize security efforts, bringing government agencies closer to the communities that are on the front lines of this violence. Alia reiterated that the region's agricultural prowess and mineral wealth make its security vital for Nigeria's economic stability. "Our farmers feed Nigeria. Our lands produce the food that sustains millions of families across the country," he added. Mutfwang echoed this sentiment, viewing insecurity not as local squabbles but as a shared threat to the nation's territorial integrity and development.