Jos, September 17, 2025
A fact-finding committee in Plateau State has submitted a chilling report detailing over 12,000 deaths resulting from attacks on more than 420 communities between 2001 and 2025, marking a critical step in addressing the state’s entrenched security crisis.
Retired Major General Rogers Nicholas, who chaired the committee, presented the findings in Jos on Wednesday. He revealed that the panel consulted security agencies, traditional and community leaders, and civil society groups, while also visiting affected areas across all 17 local government areas.
The report pinpointed ethnic tensions, land disputes, kidnappings, cattle rustling, and illegal mining as key drivers of the violence. It also identified porous borders with neighboring states as entry points for attackers.
Testimonies frequently cited armed Fulani militias as the primary perpetrators, though other criminal elements were also implicated.
“This report lays bare the scale of devastation in Plateau, with 12,000 lives lost and thousands displaced. It offers a blueprint for peace and recovery,” General Nicholas said.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang, receiving the report, described it as a turning point for the state. “I was once called an alarmist for speaking out on this crisis, but this report confirms the truth. Only truth can pave the way for healing,” he stated.
Mutfwang vowed that the report’s recommendations would be acted upon swiftly, with plans to forward them to the President and relevant authorities. “This document will not gather dust. We are focused on solutions to end the insecurity that has stalled our progress,” he added.
The two-volume report includes detailed findings, recommendations, and memoranda from affected communities, aiming to guide efforts toward peace, reconciliation, and justice.
In related developments, the Department of State Services recently arraigned nine prime suspects linked to killings in Plateau and Benue states, signaling intensified efforts to curb the violence.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates.
Sunday Buna Ibrahim is a seasoned journalist with Daily Frontier (dailyfrontier.com.ng), where he reports on security, conflicts, and humanitarian issues across Nigeria’s Middle Belt, particularly Plateau and Benue States. He also serves as a News Producer at Vision FM Radio in Abuja. Prior to joining Daily Frontier, he worked with Radio Nigeria, Fombina FM Yola in Adamawa State between 2019 and 2020.
