Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has called for a regional security strategy to tackle the growing insecurity threatening communities, livelihoods and development across the North Central.
Mutfwang made the call on Monday, August 31, 2026, while speaking as a panellist at the 2026 North Central Security Summit held in Makurdi, Benue State.
The summit was organised by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, North Central.
The governor said the scale of insecurity in the region required states to move beyond isolated responses and adopt a united, intelligence-driven approach to security.
Mutfwang rejected the description of the violence as merely farmer-herder clashes, saying the pattern of attacks in several communities suggested a more organised threat.
He described the situation as an invasion of communities and a threat to national sovereignty, particularly where vulnerable populations were targeted and displaced from their ancestral homes.
Reflecting on Plateau, the governor said many displaced persons were still unable to return home because the security conditions required for safe and sustainable resettlement had not been fully established.
“Leaders must confront insecurity with honesty and a sense of urgency because of its effects on poverty, economic deprivation and development,” Mutfwang said.
He called on security agencies to move beyond reactive operations and trace attackers to their sources and routes, particularly through corridors linking parts of the North-West with Taraba and Nasarawa states.
“Security agencies must move beyond reactionary responses and trace attackers to their sources and routes,” he said, urging stronger intelligence gathering, inter-state cooperation and coordinated security operations.
Mutfwang also called for closer collaboration among North Central states, the military, police and other security agencies to block the movement of armed groups and prevent criminal elements from establishing permanent footholds in communities.
Speaking at the summit, the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), said the meeting was organised to enable government and security stakeholders to hear directly from communities and develop practical solutions to the region’s security challenges.
Musa stressed that security was a collective responsibility and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening security and creating a safe environment for farmers to access their farms and communities.
Also at the summit were Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume; Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia; and Nasarawa State Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule. Kogi and Niger states were represented by delegates.
