Land-grabbing, banditry, and illegal mining are said to be some of the reasons for the insecurity and communal crisis ravaging the North-Central region.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North-Central), Dr Abiodun Essiet made the disclosure while addressing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
She said their engagement with the media focused on insecurity.
The SA, who was flanked by her counterparts from the North-west, South-east, and South-west zones, said the violence ravaging the region was worsened by the activities of armed groups exploiting development gaps, which were rooted in unresolved historical tensions and resource conflicts.
“We identified historical mistrust, land-grabbing, banditry, and illegal mining as major triggers of violence. The President has promised to strengthen peace structures and ensure our communities are safe,” she said.
Essiet also linked the prevailing security situation to poor infrastructure, particularly along the Kogi–Kwara corridor, which she said had become a haven for bandits due to the inadequate road network.
According to her, the community peace structures had been established across 121 local government areas, including 32 in Niger, 21 in Kogi, and 23 in Benue, with deployment set to begin this week in all 17 LGAs of Plateau State.
“The peace structures would bring together traditional rulers, farmers’ associations, Fulani groups, youth, and women to promote conflict resolution and reconciliation,” she explained.
She said, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed relevant ministries to take urgent steps toward improving road infrastructure in the region.
Speaking on the situation in the Northwest, Senior Special Assistant Abdullahi Tanko-Yakasai stated that his office is focused on reducing the region’s high number of out-of-school children.
“Vulnerable children were being enrolled in primary schools and provided with uniforms, books, and learning materials. While acknowledging improved agricultural output this season.
“Fertiliser access remained a challenge, and the President had promised intervention and highlighted efforts to mobilise voter registration and create awareness about the new student loan scheme and ongoing tax reforms,” Yakasai said.
For the Southeast, Chioma Nweze said the region had launched a Citizens’ Assembly to deepen engagement and understanding of government Inpolicies.t
“The renewed federal presence through ministerial appointments and major road projects had begun to restore public confidence.
“It’s been long since we saw a federal presence in the Southeast. But now, we are seeing a lot of road construction courtesy of this administration,” she said.
Nweze added that the Monday sit-at-home directive was losing traction, while the President had pledged support for youth skills acquisition and agricultural programmes across the region’s 95 local government areas.
Veteran journalist and recipient of A.B.C Yola, Reporter of the Year Award (1997), Hassan Umar Shallpella, works with WAP as a Regional Correspondence. He was trained at Institute of Mass Communication and Technology Jos and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Training School Lagos.He was a News desk Editor and a Correspondent at the Punch newspaper and till 2019, was the Deputy Editor ofThe Scope newspaper.
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