Conflict and peacebuilding experts, on Sunday, advised the Federal Government to regulate community-based vigilant groups and integrate them into formal structures to ensure accountability and coherence.
They also recommended a shift from militarised interventions to deploying community-based approaches that build trust and prioritise prevention to solve the violence in north-central Nigeria.
They made the submissions at a webinar hosted by Conflict Research Network West Africa, themed “Violence in North Central Nigeria: Pathways to Peace and Human Security.”
The webinar panelists, a social entrepreneur and justice advocate, Ms. Ier Jonathan-Ichaver; the Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu; a criminologist and security studies scholar at the University of Jos, Prof Suchi Plangshak, and an expert in security governance and strategic studies, Prof Albert Okoli, examined the structural, political, and social drivers of the conflict in the region.
Moderated by CORN West Africa’s Executive Director, Dr. Timipere Allison and Director of Strategy, Partnerships and Policy Development, Dr. Gbemisola Abiola, the panellists called for “bold actions to end the violence in the North Central Nigeria.”
While Plangshack stated that the violence in the region is not merely a product of armed conflict but a reflection of systemic dysfunction rooted in marginalisation, exclusion, and the erosion of justice, Jonathan-Ichaver highlighted the inadequacy of the state’s response, saying “security agencies often fail to act on early warnings and lack investigative capacity.
“There is the need for federal government to regulate community-based vigilant groups and integrate them into formal structures to ensure accountability and coherence,” they submitted.
In his contribution, Okoli recognised the rise of community-based security groups and warned of the dangers of unregulated vigilantism.
“When the state abdicates its role, non-state actors step in. But without oversight, they can become part of the problem,” Okoli added.
In his submission, Ochogwu, who noted that much progress has been made in containing the violence in the region, called for a more humane approach to reconciliation and peacebuilding in the region.
“We must rehabilitate victims, not just count them. Local governments need resources and autonomy to lead reconciliation efforts. Peace cannot be outsourced. It must be locally owned.”
The Executive Director of CORNWEST Africa, Allison, therefore, reaffirmed CORNWEST Africa’s commitment to collaborative research, policy innovation, and amplifying community voices.
“I want to urge government actors, civil society, academia, and international partners to act decisively, as the time for piecemeal interventions is over. What is needed now is a unified, strategic response that restores dignity, justice, and peace to the people of the region.”
