Plateau Govt Demands Military Withdrawal from Flashpoints, Recommends Mobile Police Deployment
The Plateau State Government has called for the immediate withdrawal of military personnel from violence-prone communities, urging instead the deployment of Mobile Police Squads to better address the region’s growing insecurity.
This demand follows a deadly attack on villages in Riyom Local Government Area earlier in the week, which left at least 27 people dead. During a visit to the affected communities on Wednesday, Governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the killings and blamed security operatives for failing to apprehend the perpetrators.
In a statement issued on Friday, Prof. Chris Kwaja, Special Envoy on Peace and Security to the Governor, expressed the government’s dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of the military presence in the area, particularly that of Operation Safe Haven—a multi-agency task force assigned to maintain peace in Plateau State.
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Kwaja described the military’s failure to prevent the Tuesday night attack as a significant lapse, especially considering prior intelligence and early warning signals.
“The Federal Government must, as a matter of urgency, withdraw all military personnel stationed at flashpoints and replace them with Mobile Police Squads,” Kwaja stated. “This strategic shift is necessary to adopt a more responsive and effective security framework, especially in combating asymmetric warfare, which the MOPOL units are trained and better equipped to handle.”
The state government believes that mobile police officers are better suited to engage with local communities and respond more swiftly to emerging threats.
The call for a change in security strategy comes amid growing concerns about the frequency and scale of violent attacks in parts of Plateau State, with citizens and stakeholders demanding improved protection and accountability from security agencies.
By PRNigeria
