By Terdue Atondu, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has called for a community-centred and collaborative approach to tackling insecurity in the North Central region, stressing that military operations alone cannot provide lasting solutions to the crisis.
Alia made the call on Monday at the New Banquet Hall, Government House, Makurdi, while welcoming participants to the North Central Regional Security Summit hosted by Benue State.
The governor urged stakeholders to strengthen collaboration among security agencies, traditional rulers, border communities and grassroots actors to improve intelligence gathering and early warning mechanisms.
He said sustainable security in the region required moving beyond military deployments to address the socio-economic conditions that drive criminality, particularly poverty, unemployment and idleness.
“The moment we set aside our differences to confront the enemy of insecurity; half the battle is already won,” Alia said.
He stressed that such collaboration must translate into practical measures that involve custodians of local communities, who, according to him, are often the first to detect suspicious movements and emerging security threats.
The summit, organised by the Ministry of Defence in partnership with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, brought together governors, security chiefs, traditional and community leaders and other stakeholders from across the North Central.
The meeting is aimed at developing locally driven responses to banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts, violent extremist spillovers and organised crime affecting the region.
Alia said he advocated for Benue to host the summit because of the persistent security challenges along the Benue-Plateau axis.
He maintained that addressing insecurity required a comprehensive strategy that combines security operations with community engagement, intelligence-sharing and interventions targeting the socio-economic root causes of criminality.
The governor also underscored the strategic importance of the North Central to Nigeria’s economy, particularly its contribution to food production and mineral resources.
He warned that insecurity in the region could have far-reaching consequences for the entire country by disrupting agricultural production, supply chains and food security.
“When the North Central is insecure, it is not only our problem, the whole country feels it on its dining table,” he said.
Alia urged participants to ensure that the summit produces concrete and lasting institutional outcomes rather than ending with speeches and recommendations that are not implemented.
He called for the adoption of operational recommendations capable of surviving changes in administration and strengthening security coordination across the region.
The governor also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his efforts toward addressing insecurity and urged all stakeholders to work collectively to achieve the objectives of the summit.
