By Adesakin Adefemi
President Bola Tinubu has ordered Plateau leaders to identify and expose those behind recurring attacks in the state, pledging to deploy “the full instruments of federal power” against anyone instigating violence or sustaining the crisis.
Speaking Tuesday night during a closed-door meeting with Governor Caleb Mutfwang, all living former governors of Plateau, traditional rulers, and other stakeholders, Tinubu said tolerance must be the foundation for peace. “If people are being recruited to provoke anger, conflict and killings, it is you, the leaders, that should first of all examine yourselves,” he told the delegation.
The President directed Mutfwang to name “agents provocateurs” fueling the killings so they can face the full weight of the law. “If you identify and you know the name of troublemakers who want to continue killing or instigate killing, let us know. We will use the instrument of office to deal with them,” he said.
To support victims, Tinubu approved N2bn in relief for those affected by the March 29 attack in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North LGA, where gunmen killed over 27 residents returning from Palm Sunday church services. The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, announced the fund at the three-hour session.
The President endorsed a new peace committee comprising all former governors of the state, including APC National Chairman Prof Nentawe Yilwatda. He tasked the group with reviewing past white papers on the Plateau crisis and returning with actionable recommendations. “Forget those committees you mentioned to me; if it’s not working, it’s not working. Consider this group as the committee until we find a lasting solution,” Tinubu said.
Tinubu renewed his call for state police, calling it the most relevant solution to Plateau’s security challenge. He told lawmakers present that the Federal Government would work with the National Assembly to establish state policing nationally. “I believe that once we have a state police, enforcement of laws will take care of some of these problems. We must stop creating widows, widowers and orphans,” he said.
The President also directed the committee to push for greater recruitment of non-indigenes into Plateau’s government as a confidence-building measure. He said Abuja would co-fund radio campaigns against discrimination and conflict if needed, stressing that justice, fairness, and integration must guide peace efforts.
Governor Mutfwang described the gathering as historic, noting it was the first time all former governors of the state met in one room. “Our coming here today shows that there is a renewed spirit on the Plateau that we want to be together. We are determined to rise above all the divides of religion and ethnicity,” he said.
The Gbong Gwom, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, urged Tinubu to fulfill his April 2 pledge to install over 5,000 AI-enabled surveillance cameras across Plateau. He also called for federal support to return displaced persons to their ancestral homes before the rainy season and praised First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for visiting the state twice with relief materials.
Former Deputy Speaker Idris Wase identified drug abuse as a major driver of insecurity and called for strict enforcement of the rule of law. Other attendees included former governors Simon Lalong, Jonah Jang, Joshua Dariye, and Fidelis Tapgun, alongside CAN Chairman Dr Dunka Gomwalk, ex-Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal JD Wuyep, and Speaker Naanlong Gapyil Daniel.
