The Nigerian Army has cautioned that the growing practice of communities arming themselves for self-defence in Plateau State is deepening the crisis rather than helping to resolve it.
Major General MA Etsy-Ndagi, the Chief of Civil-Military Relations, made this known during a media briefing in Jos.
He said that while some groups have been advocating for community self-defence due to recurring attacks, the approach has only aggravated tensions and contributed to a cycle of retaliatory violence.
Plateau State has experienced persistent conflict since 2001, leading to numerous deaths, injuries and widespread destruction. Frustration over the repeated attacks has led some communities to demand permission to protect themselves.
But Etsy-Ndagi stressed that the violence involves ongoing clashes between farming and herding communities, with both sides accusing each other of attacks, farm destruction, and cattle rustling.
According to him, this back-and-forth has created a continuous chain of violence.
He explained that the military is focused on disarming all individuals, including those carrying locally fabricated weapons, to restore peace.
“To ensure the safety of lives and property, everyone must be disarmed. We cannot allow illegal weapons or local fabrication of arms,” he said.
He added that the military does not support the idea of communities defending themselves, noting that the Army’s role is to protect vulnerable and traumatized communities, not to permit parallel armed groups.
Etsy-Ndagi appealed to residents to promote peaceful coexistence and work closely with security agencies, emphasizing that sustainable development is impossible without peace.
He reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s dedication to combating insecurity across the country and restoring stability to troubled regions.
