Governor of Plateau State, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang, hats commended News Central for its coverage of events in the state. He expressed his appreciation during the News Central Town Hall Series, which featured leaders, victims, and stakeholders discussing the escalating ethnic and religious conflicts affecting residents.
Represented by the State Commissioner of Information, Musa Ashoms, Mutfwang said, “As a government, we have empowered a peace-building agency to dialogue, interface, interact, and heal wounds among communities on the Plateau who have been injured. It is a sad commentary that while many beautiful things are happening on the Plateau, some media outlets are not interested in promoting them. Once a life is taken, the headlines are exaggerated.”
He urged reporters to reach out to government agencies and key stakeholders to ensure accurate reporting. “This is a commendable process… an event where people are pouring out their emotions, especially principal actors in the peace-building process,” he added. Mutfwang also praised the military in the Plateau but urged it to improve its intelligence-gathering methods.
The Governor noted that the state is trying to rechannel the energy of restive youths into agriculture, with about 340 youths currently being trained at the CSS farm along Keffi-Abuja road. “Everyone who is an indigene of this state must do everything to protect Plateau State and its residents,” he said. To promote peace, Fulani individuals have been appointed to key positions in the state.
Ashoms highlighted, “The five-man transition committee includes a Fulani representative in Jos East. Whether we like it or not, Fulanis must remain in Plateau, and nothing will make the Berom not exist on the Plateau. Therefore, we must live peacefully.”
Chief Joseph Gwankat KSM, President General of the Magavul Nation, remarked on how they had lived peacefully with the Fulanis in the past and decried the recent rise in violence. He added that the Town Hall Meeting organised by News Central was a genuine avenue for the ventilation of concerns. He hoped that such would lead to reconciliation.
Barrister Solomon Mwantiri, President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, said, “These attacks should not be referred to as herder-farmers clashes. It is purely an act of terrorism.”
Representative of the Berom, Gyang Chollom added, “Since March 2010, the Fulanis have single-handedly taken over the attacks. Many villages have been attacked and taken over since then. This is not community violence; sitting us together with our killers is pure terrorism.”
Ezekiel Bini, speaking about the attacks on the Irigwe community, stated, “Ours is not a conflict. It is a direct attack on us. Some of the attacks are a result of farm encroachment.”
He explained that between 2001 and 2024, 1069 persons of Irigwe descent have been killed in various attacks, leaving behind 453 widows, 900 orphans, 8 displaced communities and at least 30,000 hectares of farmland vandalised with its crops destroyed.
News Central reported that the army has intercepted arms from bandits in the forest, used to attack communities like Fungzai and Kubwat villages in Mangu, and Zurak Kompani and Bandalala communities in Wase, resulting in hundreds of deaths and displacing thousands. Governor Mutfwang pledged to protect and ensure peace and security on the Plateau.
In his remarks, News Central’s Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief, Kayode Akintemi, expressed pride in the Governor of Plateau State’s commitment to restoring peace in the region. He also praised Major General Abubakar for the innovative use of technology to monitor and address violence in various communities. Akintemi assured that News Central would maintain a strong presence on the ground to provide accurate and factual reporting. He condemned those with malicious agendas seeking to cause further harm.