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Former Plateau State governor, Senator Jonah Jang, has said he was viciously criticised and labelled with unprintable names when he first pushed for the establishment of state police.
Jang disclosed this on Thursday while speaking on behalf of Plateau elders during President Bola Tinubu’s sympathy visit to Jos over the recent deadly attacks in Angwan Rukuba and other communities in the state.
Welcoming Tinubu, Jang said the visit demonstrated compassion and solidarity with grieving families and the people of Plateau, widely known as the Home of Peace and Tourism.
He noted that security challenges in the state were not new, recalling similar crises since the administration of Sen. Joshua Chibi Dariye in 2001, through his own tenure, that of Simon Lalong, and now under Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
“Over 160 communities have been destroyed and forcefully occupied by armed groups, some of whom have openly admitted responsibility for these crimes,” Jang stated.
He expressed worry that thousands of displaced persons were still unable to return to their ancestral homes, while suspects linked to the attacks were sometimes transferred to Abuja only for the cases to lose steam.
Jang, who was among the earliest advocates for state police as governor, said: “I was among the first to advocate for the establishment of state police, but I was called unprintable names, and the then National Assembly failed to see the merit.”
He commended President Tinubu for revisiting the idea with vigour, but warned against any compromised structure.
The former governor dismissed the narrative that attacks in the state were mainly about farmer-herder conflicts.
“There are no farms or cattle in Angwan Rukuba,” he said, describing the attacks as driven by “expansionist motives, land grabbing in its raw form,” with political and religious undertones.
He suggested some attacks might be intended to undermine recent security gains by the Tinubu administration.
Jang called for more decisive action, including increased deployment of security personnel, better intelligence gathering, and coordinated operations to dismantle criminal networks.
He welcomed the recruitment of forest guards but insisted that locals should be prioritised because they understand the terrain better than outsiders.
The elder statesman also requested a special intervention fund for the rebuilding of destroyed communities and the safe return of displaced families.
He stressed the need to tackle the root causes of the conflicts for lasting peace, while reaffirming the resilience and peace-loving nature of Plateau people and their commitment to Nigeria’s unity.
President Tinubu’s visit came days after gunmen struck Angwan Rukuba on Palm Sunday, sparking widespread outrage and the imposition of a curfew in Jos North.
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