Plateau Panel Seeks Enforcement of Anti-Land Grabbing Law

The Chairman of the Plateau State Special Fact-Finding Committee and former Commander of Operation Safe Haven, Gen. Rogers Nicholas (retd.), has called for the strict enforcement of the state’s Anti-Land Grabbing Law (2022) and the adoption of grassroots-driven security reforms to address persistent violence in the state.

Nicholas made the call in Abuja during a special security conference organised by the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Plateau Security, where he shared insights from his tenure managing security operations and presented key recommendations from months of field consultations.

He described the Plateau crisis as a complex mix of historical grievances, ethnic tensions, land disputes, open grazing conflicts, poverty, illegal mining, youth unemployment, porous borders, and a weak justice system.

“One of the major drivers of this crisis is the cycle of reprisal attacks — farmer-herder clashes that quickly escalate into community-wide violence,” Nicholas said.

The retired general recalled that during his tenure, he prioritised community trust-building, convening town hall meetings with local and Fulani leaders and creating community-based compensation systems for incidents such as cattle rustling and crop destruction. However, he lamented that most of those initiatives were discontinued after his departure, leading to renewed tensions.

Presenting the committee’s major recommendations, Nicholas proposed the establishment of Peace and Security Committees in every community, headed by traditional rulers and inclusive of all ethnic and religious groups. He also urged:

Strict enforcement and review of the Plateau Anti-Land Grabbing Law (2022);

Creation of grazing routes and ranching areas in partnership with local authorities;

Stronger criminal justice measures, including stiffer penalties for cattle rustling, illegal arms possession, and farmland destruction.