A government fact-finding committee in Plateau State says at least 11,749 people have been killed and 420 communities attacked in the state between 2001 and May 2025.
The committee, chaired by retired Major General Nicholas Rogers, presented its findings to Governor Caleb Mutfwang in Jos on Wednesday. It said the violence—spanning 13 local government areas—has been driven by resource conflicts, ethnic mistrust, and criminal exploitation of land and natural resources.
“The human cost has been staggering,” Mr Rogers said. “We documented not only the deaths but also widespread displacement, destruction of livestock, homes, and farmlands.”
The panel’s report shows that livestock losses accounted for 35 per cent of the destruction, while displacements reached 32.5 per cent. Food supplies, homes, and land were also severely impacted.
The violence, the committee said, often involved attackers gaining entry through neighbouring states such as Taraba, Bauchi, Kaduna, and Nasarawa before retreating.
Governor Mutfwang, who inaugurated the 10-member committee in May, described the report as “sobering” and promised to forward it to the federal government for urgent action. He also announced plans to strengthen Operation Rainbow, the state’s security outfit, and expand peacebuilding initiatives at the grassroots level.
Plateau has remained one of Nigeria’s deadliest flashpoints of communal and ethno-religious violence over the last two decades, with thousands killed and displaced despite multiple government and international interventions.
