11,000 Persons, 420 Communities Lost To Plateau Violence – Report
The chairman of the committee established by the Plateau State government to look into the incessant attacks and killings in the state, Major General Nicholas Rogers (rtd), has revealed that no fewer than 11,000 people lost their lives and at least 420 communities were destroyed in the state over the last two decades of violence.
Rogers made the disclosure in the committee’s report submitted last week to Governor Caleb Mutfwang at the Government House, Jos.
The 10-member panel was inaugurated in May 2025 to investigate the root causes of the crisis that has plagued Plateau State since 2001.
According to the findings, 13 local government areas have suffered repeated attacks within the period under review, with entire communities sacked and thousands displaced.
However, controversy trailed the submission of the report after sections of the media quoted the committee as blaming Fulani herders, particularly those from neighbouring states, as the primary perpetrators of the killings.
At a briefing yesterday in Jos, General Rogers dismissed the reports, stressing that the crisis could not be pinned on any single ethnic group.
He said: “The crisis in Plateau State is not domiciled in any ethnic group. All the ethnic groups are involved. It is wrong to pinpoint any particular tribe and say it is responsible. We have all made mistakes in one way or another, and it is those mistakes that led to this crisis.
“It is wrong to insinuate that only Fulani are responsible. We have submitted our report to the governor, and it is only the governor who has access to the recommendations. The paper is not in the public domain. So where will anyone see the recommendations claiming one particular tribe was indicted?”
The committee chairman stressed that reprisal attacks were largely fueling the cycle of violence and urged elites and community leaders to caution their youth against taking laws into their own hands.
“We advise the elite to always instruct their youth to report cases to the relevant authorities and allow investigations to be conducted properly. We urge people to lay down their arms,” Rogers appealed.
He further called on the Plateau State government to show the necessary political will to implement the recommendations of the report to restore lasting peace to the state.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
