Grazing reserve, forests in Plateau taken over by bandits  —  Gov Mutfwang

The Governor of Plateau State has challenged stakeholders to stand with him in the fight to redeem the Plateau heritage, saying almost all the 17 local government areas in the State are plagued with insecurity.

Mutfwang made the plea at an expanded stakeholders meeting held at the Government House in Jos. Those in attendance were from across ethnic, political, religious, and other divides.

The meeting took place shortly after Christian leaders under the aegis of the Church Leaders Denominational Forum led hundreds of believers across various denominations in a peaceful protest against the continued attacks and killings of villagers in communities in the State.

The Governor, in a remark before the meeting went into a closed-door session, commended the stakeholders for turning up for the meeting despite their diverse affiliations and urged them to join with him to reclaim the land, preserve it, and nurture it for the benefit of future generations.

He said, “You are aware of the events of the last three weeks, which have once again pushed our State to the front burner of national discourse — unfortunately, for the wrong reasons.

“Two days after being sworn in, I convened a Security Council meeting. We engaged in a lot of discussions with communities and their leaders. Things calmed down — until we woke up to a ruthless attack on 2023 Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day in Bokkos that claimed not less than 150 lives in one sweep.\

“From January 2024 till February 2025, even though there were sporadic incidents here and there, we did not experience anything close to the magnitude of what has recently occurred — first in a community called Ruwi in Bokkos, and then it spread to other parts. Just over 10 days ago, it extended into Bassa Local Government Area. At the last count, we have probably lost well over 100 people.

“In Bassa, I’m told the community documented all the attacks and deaths that took place between 2015 to date. Many would be shocked to learn that nearly 3,000 people were lost, particularly in the Miango axis.”

The Governor reiterated, “There is no senatorial zone in this State that is without its share of conflict. In Wase, for instance, a grazing reserve was developed as far back as the days of Northern Nigeria, but that area has been inaccessible.

“Kanam has also come under siege. The intelligence we are getting from Pandam (Qua’an Pan LGA) is very disturbing — it has become a haven for kidnappers and a sort of stock exchange for ransom transactions. Many of the kidnappings that took place in Shendam have also been linked to Pandam.

The Governor of Plateau State has challenged stakeholders to stand with him in the fight to redeem the Plateau heritage, saying almost all the 17 local government areas in the State are plagued with insecurity.

Mutfwang made the plea at an expanded stakeholders meeting held at the Government House in Jos. Those in attendance were from across ethnic, political, religious, and other divides.

The meeting took place shortly after Christian leaders under the aegis of the Church Leaders Denominational Forum led hundreds of believers across various denominations in a peaceful protest against the continued attacks and killings of villagers in communities in the State.

The Governor, in a remark before the meeting went into a closed-door session, commended the stakeholders for turning up for the meeting despite their diverse affiliations and urged them to join with him to reclaim the land, preserve it, and nurture it for the benefit of future generations.

He said, “You are aware of the events of the last three weeks, which have once again pushed our State to the front burner of national discourse — unfortunately, for the wrong reasons.

“Two days after being sworn in, I convened a Security Council meeting. We engaged in a lot of discussions with communities and their leaders. Things calmed down — until we woke up to a ruthless attack on 2023 Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day in Bokkos that claimed not less than 150 lives in one sweep.\

“From January 2024 till February 2025, even though there were sporadic incidents here and there, we did not experience anything close to the magnitude of what has recently occurred — first in a community called Ruwi in Bokkos, and then it spread to other parts. Just over 10 days ago, it extended into Bassa Local Government Area. At the last count, we have probably lost well over 100 people.

“In Bassa, I’m told the community documented all the attacks and deaths that took place between 2015 to date. Many would be shocked to learn that nearly 3,000 people were lost, particularly in the Miango axis.”

The Governor reiterated, “There is no senatorial zone in this State that is without its share of conflict. In Wase, for instance, a grazing reserve was developed as far back as the days of Northern Nigeria, but that area has been inaccessible.

“Kanam has also come under siege. The intelligence we are getting from Pandam (Qua’an Pan LGA) is very disturbing — it has become a haven for kidnappers and a sort of stock exchange for ransom transactions. Many of the kidnappings that took place in Shendam have also been linked to Pandam.


Source: Vanguard