The Plateau Youth G-17 Peace and Progressive Forum has issued an urgent and uncompromising call for decisive action in response to the persistent wave of violence and insecurity devastating communities across Plateau State and Nigeria at large.

In a strongly worded statement signed by its Leader, Joshua Longji Sati, the Forum lamented that the people of Plateau have, for far too long, lived under the shadow of recurring, predictable, and preventable attacks.

The group decried the continued loss of innocent lives, noting that men, women, and children are being killed in their homes, on their farms, and even in places of worship, while authorities merely offer routine condemnations without corresponding action.
According to the Forum, the current security architecture has proven grossly inadequate in addressing the scale and pattern of violence confronting communities.

Highlighting what it described as a dangerous and predictable trend, the group expressed grave concern over the increasing sophistication of coordinated attacks on both urban and rural settlements. It noted that such assaults are often deliberately timed to coincide with religious and festive periods and are repeatedly targeted at areas with little or no immediate security presence.

The Forum further criticized the delayed response from centralized security agencies, stressing that Nigeria’s over-centralized policing system is ill-equipped to tackle localized and rapidly evolving threats.

“Decisions are made far from the realities on the ground, leaving communities exposed and vulnerable. We can no longer afford a one-size-fits-all security architecture,” Sati stated.

Consequently, the Forum called for urgent constitutional and policy reforms to enable the establishment of State Police, describing the demand as a matter of survival rather than political convenience.

It emphasized that State Police would significantly enhance rapid response capabilities, strengthen intelligence gathering, and foster trust and cooperation between security operatives and local communities. According to the group, locally stationed forces would drastically reduce response times and ultimately save lives.

The Forum also advocated for the development of stronger intelligence networks and the adoption of context-driven security strategies tailored to the peculiar needs of affected communities.

“We reject the continued cycle of condolences without action. We reject a system that reacts only after lives have been lost. We reject excuses in the face of preventable tragedy,” the statement read.

The group urged the Federal Government to immediately initiate and fast-track constitutional amendments for the creation of State Police, stressing that further delay would only embolden perpetrators of violence.

It also called on the Plateau State Government to move beyond rhetoric by taking proactive steps toward establishing a workable framework for State Police while strengthening existing security initiatives, including the revitalization and effective deployment of Operation Rainbow.

The Forum appealed to citizens to remain vigilant and united, emphasizing that the right to life and security must never be compromised.

“This is a defining moment. History will remember those who acted and those who stood by while communities were destroyed. Plateau State and indeed Nigeria must not continue to bury its people when solutions are within reach.
“The time for State Police is now. The time for action is now,” the statement concluded.

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Plateau Youth G-17 Peace and Progressive Forum Demands Urgent Security Reforms, Calls for State Police