President Bola Tinubu has directed political, traditional, and community leaders in Plateau State to develop a concrete action plan to end recurring violence, while the Federal Government approved N2 billion in relief funds for victims of recent attacks.
Presidential Meeting with Plateau Delegation
During a three-hour interactive session with a 32-member Plateau delegation at the State House in Abuja, President Tinubu urged stakeholders to move beyond rhetoric and agree on practical, implementable steps to secure lasting peace. The meeting followed his earlier commitment to engage Plateau leaders after the March 29 killings in Angwa Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area.
Tinubu directed the delegation, led by Governor Caleb Mutfwang, to revisit previous government white papers on the crises and harmonize workable recommendations for immediate implementation. He emphasized the need for tolerance and responsibility among leaders.
President's Call for Unity and Justice
“No protocols, no hindrances, we are here to speak our minds and find a permanent solution,” the President said. “Let us first accept one resolution: tolerance for every inhabitant.” He stressed that leaders must take responsibility for curbing violence, including identifying those who incite conflict. “If people are being recruited to provoke anger, conflict and killings, it is you, the leaders, who must first examine yourselves,” he added.
Tinubu emphasized that breaking the cycle of violence requires justice, fairness, and inclusion, urging leaders to ensure that all residents, regardless of ethnicity or religion, have a sense of belonging. “To stop creating orphans, widows and widowers, there must be enduring peace,” he said, while reaffirming his administration’s commitment to infrastructure development in the state.
Relief Fund and Return of Displaced Persons
The President also urged federal intervention to facilitate the return of internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes ahead of the farming season. He maintained that Plateau’s reputation as a peaceful and accommodating state must be restored through collective leadership and decisive action. He urged the governor to broaden consultations, harmonize stakeholder positions, and return with concrete, actionable proposals. “This is about finding a lasting solution, not another round of discussions,” the President said.
Governor Mutfwang described the meeting as historic, noting that it brought together all former governors of the state in a unified push for peace. “Our coming here shows a renewed spirit on the Plateau, that we want to be together,” he said. “We are determined to rise above divisions of religion and ethnicity and build a state we can all be proud of.” He pledged that stakeholders would build on the momentum to close existing gaps and reposition the state for economic recovery, including leveraging development initiatives to address the roots of conflict.
Stakeholder Contributions and Security Measures
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mohammed Dorro, announced that the President had approved N2 billion in relief support for victims of the March 29 attack. Youth representatives from both Christian and Muslim communities also pledged support for peacebuilding efforts, while lawmakers stressed the need for strict enforcement of the rule of law, warning that impunity and drug abuse continue to fuel insecurity.
Other stakeholders at the session, including elders, politicians, and youth representatives, identified indigene-settler tensions, religion, ethnicity, and farmer-herder clashes as major drivers of the crisis. Those in attendance included APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda; former governors Simon Lalong, Jonah Jang, Joshua Dariye, and Fidelis Tapgun, alongside religious and traditional leaders. The Gbong Gwon Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, called for increased troop deployment, installation of CCTV surveillance, and renewed consideration of state policing to tackle insecurity.
