THE Plateau State Government has received a report from a high-level fact-finding committee on the long-running violence in the state, revealing that nearly 12,000 people have been killed in attacks spanning more than two decades.
Presenting the report in Jos, the committee’s chairman, retired Major General Rogers Nicholas, disclosed that more than 420 communities across Plateau were attacked between 2001 and 2025, leading to mass killings and the displacement of thousands.
The committee engaged security agencies, traditional rulers, community leaders, and civil society groups, and also visited all 17 local government areas to gather evidence.
Their findings pointed to ethnic mistrust, land disputes, kidnappings, cattle rustling, and illegal mining as major drivers of the crisis.
They also identified porous borders as infiltration routes for attackers.
Testimonies consistently pointed out armed Fulani militias as the primary perpetrators of the coordinated assaults, though other criminal groups were also involved.
“With over 420 communities attacked and nearly 12,000 lives lost, Plateau cannot afford business as usual. This report provides a roadmap for peace, healing, and rebuilding,” General Nicholas said.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang, who received the two-volume report, described it as a turning point in efforts to end decades of bloodshed.
“When I first spoke about this crisis, I was called a liar and an alarmist. But this report provides irrefutable evidence of the truth—because only the truth can set our people free,” he stated.
The governor pledged to act swiftly on the recommendations, promising to forward them to President Bola Tinubu and other relevant authorities.
“This report is not going to gather dust on the shelves. We seek solutions, not arguments. Insecurity has distracted us from development for too long. That must change,” he stressed.
Mutfwang reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to restoring peace, rebuilding trust among communities, and securing justice for victims.