Plateau Crisis: Coalition Demands State Police, DSS Deployment After 50 Killed in One Week
Afrik24 -A coalition of indigenous youth associations in Plateau State has issued an urgent appeal to the Federal Government following a devastating resurgence of violence that claimed at least 50 lives in just one week.
The renewed attacks, which targeted communities in the Riyom and Bassa Local Government Areas, have also left hundreds of residents displaced from their ancestral homes.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Jos, representative of a broad coalition of local youth groups—including the Afizere, Anaguta, Atakar, Aten, Berom, Irigwe, Kulere, Mushere, Mwaghavul, Pan, and Ron associations, demanded immediate justice and the establishment of state police, as well as targeted security deployments to restore lasting peace.
A Cry for Justice and Security
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Barr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, President of the Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM), described the situation of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) as deeply tragic, emphasizing that the primary relief these communities require is not just aid, but accountability.
”The first relief victims deserve is justice, but they have not received it. Those behind these attacks must be identified, arrested and prosecuted.”, Barr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, said.
The coalition noted that prior deployments of the Department of State Services (DSS) had previously brought relative peace to affected areas, proving that intelligence-driven operations are highly effective at halting bloodshed.
Consequently, they are urging the Federal Government to deploy additional DSS operatives to vulnerable communities immediately.
The Case for State Police
To address the security vacuum permanently, the youth coalition is throwing its full weight behind the creation of state police, calling on the National Assembly to fast-track the pending legislation and urged President Bola Tinubu to assent to the bill as soon as it is passed.
However, they stressed that strict safeguards must be put in place to protect the integrity of the proposed force, proposing that local traditional rulers play a central role in screening and recruiting personnel with the intention to prevent criminal elements and individuals with questionable backgrounds from infiltrating the state police structure.
Rebuilding Shattered Lives
While acknowledging that the Plateau State Government has begun constructing 100 housing units for displaced families in the Bokkos Local Government Area, the coalition stressed that the scale of the crisis requires far more support.
They said victims remain displaced and are currently unable to return to their communities and t ⁸ resolve this, the youths called on the Federal Government to strengthen intelligence gathering, actively prosecute perpetrators, facilitate the safe return of displaced families to their lands, and provide sustained humanitarian assistance to help victims rebuild their lives.
