Stop Using Insecurity as a Political Pawn, Sule and Mutfwang Warn North Central Leaders as Region Launches Security Summit

Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.

Governors Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa and Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau have sounded a rare and urgent note of unity, using the platform of the North Central Zonal Security Summit in Makurdi to deliver a blunt message to their peers and political rivals: stop playing politics with the blood of the region's citizens. The two governors, speaking on Monday, August 31, 2026, at a summit convened by the Ministry of Defence, insisted that the persistent politicisation of security challenges had become a major obstacle to lasting peace, creating openings for criminals and militants to exploit. Sule, who is also the Chairman of the North Central Governors' Forum, called on political leaders to separate governance from politics, warning that the continued use of insecurity as a political weapon would prevent the region from making meaningful progress.

In a direct appeal that underscored the deep-seated rivalries undermining security in the zone, Governor Sule urged the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, to resolve their differences and close ranks. He stressed that political disagreements had created windows through which militants and other criminal elements could operate. "We must develop trust between Benue and Nasarawa states," Sule said. He illustrated the importance of this trust by recounting his deliberate effort to build a cordial relationship with former Benue Governor Samuel Ortom after assuming office in 2019, a move he said drastically reduced attacks along their shared border until 2023. "I will be stupid to accommodate militants that would attack Benue State or any North Central state," he declared.

Governor Mutfwang, whose state of Plateau has been one of the hardest hit by violence, challenged the recurring and often dismissive description of the attacks as mere "farmer-herder clashes". He argued that the pattern and scale of the violence pointed to a more organised threat that should be regarded as an "invasion" of communities. He called for a coordinated, intelligence-driven regional security strategy, warning that the sustained attacks pose a direct threat to Nigeria's territorial integrity and sovereignty. He urged leaders to confront the crisis with honesty and a sense of urgency, given its devastating impact on poverty and development. "Security agencies must move beyond reactionary responses and trace attackers to their sources and routes," Mutfwang said.

Both governors agreed that the region's porous borders, which have become escape routes for criminals, demand a more robust and collaborative response. Mutfwang raised concerns over the movement of armed attackers into Plateau through routes linking the North-West with Taraba and Nasarawa states, while Sule warned that the insecurity could jeopardise a $250 million lithium processing plant in Nasarawa, the largest in the country. "Our borders are so porous because of the ethnic nationalities that are from both states. Whoever commits a crime in one State often finds refuge in another," Sule lamented. He urged governors to devote more resources to acquiring modern technology for security agencies, insisting that no amount of money was too much to protect lives.

Mutfwang advocated for the establishment of structured community networks that could serve as the first line of defence. His call was echoed by former Plateau Deputy Governor Pauline Tallen, who proposed the creation of a North Central Border Coordination Committee to strengthen cooperation among states sharing common borders. The summit, which was attended by President Bola Tinubu (represented by the SGF), the Minister of Defence, and other key stakeholders, was part of a series of regional engagements under the government's Renewed Hope Agenda. The President charged participants to move beyond deliberations and produce clear, actionable recommendations with defined timelines. As the summit concluded, the message from the region's leaders was clear: the era of using insecurity as a political tool must end, and the time for collective, honest, and resolute action is now.

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