By Khadijah Shehu Abdulkareem
The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Security Challenges in Plateau State has invited Governor Caleb Mutfwang, and other key stakeholders to be part of a high-level security conference to find a solution to the incessant attacks and security breaches in the state.
The committee invited former governors Sen. Simon Lalong, Jonah Jang and Joshua Dariye, federal and state lawmakers, local government chairmen, traditional and religious leaders, as well as heads of security agencies including the Army, Police, DSS, NSCDC, and officials of Operation Safe Haven to be part of the parley.
Also invited are civil society groups, youth leaders, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Miyetti Allah, the Plateau Initiative for the Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN), and international peacebuilding bodies such as the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) and the African Union Peace and Security Division have also been invited.
While briefing newsmen on the need for the security conference, Chairman of the committee, Hon. Wale Hammed, said the meeting is part of efforts aimed at gathering “actionable recommendations and ideas to halt the cycle of killings, especially in communities such as Bokkos, Bassa, and Mangu local government areas of the state.”
Hammed noted that the Committee has also called for memoranda from stakeholders which would “provide a platform for inclusive dialogue and fact-finding to inform policy and intervention strategies.”
Hameed added that the House has resolved to convene the conference and initiate an investigation into the spate of violence, including attacks on travellers and the natives by non-state actors which has been recurring since 2021.
He said the Committee, which is acting under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution to ensure fair hearing and robust stakeholders’ engagements, will give room for a responsive and proactive measures that will give rise to the challenge of safeguarding lives and property, stressing that the conference seeks to provide solutions and not deepen divisions