Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has called for a coordinated regional security strategy to tackle the growing wave of insecurity threatening communities, livelihoods and development across the North Central geopolitical zone.
Gyang Bere, Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor, in a statement on Monday, said Mutfwang made the call on Monday at the 2026 North Central Security Summit held in Makurdi, Benue State.
The summit was organized by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central) to examine the security challenges confronting the region and develop collective measures to address them.
Speaking as a panelist, Mutfwang said the scale and pattern of insecurity in the North Central had made it necessary for states to move beyond isolated responses and adopt a united, intelligence-driven approach.
He challenged the frequent description of the violence as merely farmer-herder clashes, arguing that the nature of attacks in several communities pointed to a more organized threat requiring a more serious and coordinated response.
The governor described the situation as an invasion of communities and a threat to national sovereignty, particularly where vulnerable populations were deliberately attacked and displaced from their ancestral homes.
Reflecting on Plateau State, Mutfwang said many displaced persons remained unable to return to their communities because the security conditions required for safe and sustainable resettlement had not been fully established.
He urged leaders to confront insecurity with honesty, courage and urgency, warning that its consequences extended beyond security to poverty, economic deprivation, food production and overall development.
“Leaders must confront insecurity with honesty and a sense of urgency because of its effects on poverty, economic deprivation and development,” he said.
The governor also called on security agencies to move beyond reactionary operations and trace attackers to their sources, routes and hideouts.
He expressed concern over the movement of armed attackers into Plateau State through routes linking parts of the North-West with Taraba and Nasarawa states, exploiting porous borders and difficult-to-monitor corridors.
Mutfwang therefore advocated strengthened intelligence gathering, inter-state cooperation and coordinated operations among security agencies to identify and disrupt the routes being used by criminal elements.
He further urged security agencies to intensify efforts to dislodge criminals from their hideouts and prevent them from establishing permanent footholds in communities.
The governor called for closer collaboration among North Central states, military formations, the police and other security agencies, as well as neighbouring states and regions, to check the movement of armed groups across territorial boundaries.
Mutfwang maintained that insecurity should be treated as a collective threat to the existence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Nigeria rather than as ordinary criminality or isolated communal disputes.
Security Collective Responsibility – Defence Minister
In his remarks, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd.), said the summit was convened to enable the Federal Government and security stakeholders to hear directly from communities about the realities of the threats confronting the region.
Musa said the meeting was also aimed at building a common understanding of the security challenges and developing practical approaches to address them.
He described security as a collective responsibility and commended residents of the region for refusing to give up despite persistent attacks and other challenges.
The minister stressed the need to create a secure environment where farmers could safely access their farms and communities without fear.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening security across the country and addressing challenges undermining peace, livelihoods and national development.
Other dignitaries at the summit included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; host Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia; and Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule.
The governors of Kogi and Niger states were represented by their respective delegates.
