Total Number of People That Have Died In Plateau State From 2001 - 2025 is Finally Out

• Governor Caleb Mutfwang disclosed that nearly 12,000 people were killed and more than 420 communities were attacked in Plateau State between 2001 and May 2025
• He lamented that decades of violence led to mass displacement, destruction of farmlands, and loss of cultural and economic stability across affected communities
• Federal lawmakers, security experts, and civil society groups gathered at a Senate public hearing where calls were made for decentralised policing and stronger legislative action

Jos, Plateau state - The Plateau state Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has disclosed that almost 12,000 people were killed between 2001 and May 2025.

He added that over 420 communities have also been gruesomely attacked during the same period.

He said the figures illustrate the devastating scale of insecurity that has swept across the State for more than two decades.

The Governor, represented by his Deputy, Ngo Josephine Piyo, revealed the statistics on Thursday, November 27, at the North-Central Zonal Public Hearing of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on the National Security Summit, held in Jos.

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“These attacks are not isolated incidents. They are deliberate, coordinated, and sustained by actors pursuing economic, political, territorial, and religious interests," he said.

Plateau communities suffer displacement and loss

Governor Mutfwang lamented that waves of violent incursions have led to mass displacement, land grabbing, and the destruction of farmlands, leaving countless families without homes or livelihoods.

“The insecurity has stripped many of our communities of their cultural heritage and economic stability,” he stated.

He also warned that criminal networks are exploiting mining sites across the State, using proceeds from illegal mining to acquire arms and drugs, despite ongoing enforcement efforts.

Muftwang questions government responsibility

The Governor raised concerns about whether all levels of government were fulfilling their constitutional mandate under Section 14(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which places the security and welfare of citizens at the core of governance.

“It is time to stop comparing casualty figures across ethnic or religious divides. It is time to unite, join hands, and confront this menace collectively," he cautioned.

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Senate committee gathers public views

The public hearing brought together federal lawmakers, traditional rulers, security experts, civil society groups, and community representatives to discuss the region’s growing insecurity.

Senator Abba Moro, who led the North-Central delegation, said the summit was essential in capturing “grassroots perspectives” on the security threats ravaging both rural and urban areas, Vanguard reported.

He said insecurity in Nigeria was driven by “complex factors including economic deprivation, porous borders, youth unemployment, environmental degradation, and unresolved historical grievances.”

He added:

“Your submissions today will guide legislative interventions, influence budgetary decisions, and shape policy reforms towards strengthening national security.”

Civil society demands protection of rights

The Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN), represented by Dara Gyang Dudu, submitted detailed data on repeated attacks across Irigwe, Mupun, Mwaghavul, Bokkos, and other communities.

PIDAN called for the protection of native land rights, mutual respect between settlers and hosts, and strict adherence to constitutional guarantees of religious freedom, Punch reported.

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Rights advocate Reverend Gideon Para-Mallam urged the decentralisation of Nigeria’s security structure.

“We need a layered security architecture, national, state, local government, and community policing,” he said.

He also pressed for a national resettlement programme for internally displaced persons and the criminalisation of land grabbing.

Army mentions what is fuelling crisis in Plateau

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigerian Army said self-defense by communities is fueling the crisis and tension in Plateau state.

Major General MA Etsy-Ndagi, Chief of Civil-Military Relations, said communities defending themselves haven’t yielded positive results, but instead worsened the situation.

Source: Legit.ng