Security experts, government officials, and peacebuilding advocates gathered in Jos on Thursday, June 26, 2025, for a one-day multi-stakeholder roundtable aimed at reimagining Nigeria’s security architecture, with a focus on community policing as a pathway to tackling rising insecurity in Plateau State.

The event, held at Sarau Event Centre, was convened by the Gideon and Funmi Para-Mallam Peace Foundation in collaboration with the Plateau Peace Practitioners Network (PPPN). It featured a keynote address by retired Inspector General of Police and former Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Dr. Solomon Arase.

In his address, Dr. Arase called for a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s centralized policing system. He proposed a hybrid regional policing model embedded within the federal structure, blending national standards with local realities to build trust and enhance response capacity.

“Our current situation demands a policing structure that is nationally coherent yet locally responsive,” he stated. “We must incorporate proximity, cultural understanding, and trust into our policing without fragmenting the national force.”

Under his proposed model, recruitment and training would remain under federal oversight, while deployment would reflect local dynamics—constables serving within their local government areas, mid-level officers within their states, and senior officers within their respective geopolitical zones. Each zone would also have a dedicated Deputy Inspector General (DIG) to ensure strategic coordination.

Dr. Arase further emphasized the role of Police Community Relations Committees (PCRC) in every LGA, highlighting their potential to foster grassroots intelligence-sharing and conflict resolution. “Community police must live among the people they serve,” he said. “They should be part of the social fabric, not strangers confined to barracks.”

Declaring the dialogue open, Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, underscored the influential role of elites in promoting national cohesion.

“Communities that once coexisted peacefully are now divided due to inflammatory rhetoric and misinformation from influential voices,” the governor said. “Elites must champion national unity and social healing.”

Governor Mutfwang reaffirmed his administration’s efforts to bridge ethnic and religious divides, asserting, “I have done more than any governor since 1999 to promote peace and unity in Plateau.” He also reiterated his support for state policing, describing the current centralized structure of the Nigeria Police Force as inadequate for the country’s evolving security challenges.

Speaking on behalf of the host organization, The Revd Dr. Gideon Para-Mallam decried the persistent wave of violence in Plateau, particularly in rural areas. He pointed to the failure of existing security systems to effectively protect vulnerable groups, including farmers, women, and children.

“This roundtable is about collective thinking and building local resilience,” Para-Mallam said. “We need to explore alternative security models that can disrupt cycles of violence.” He referenced data from the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA), which reported over 55,910 violent deaths across Nigeria in recent years, with Plateau State among the most affected.

Dr. Arase and other speakers emphasized that policing alone cannot solve the crisis. “Security is a shared responsibility — from the palace to the pulpit,” he said. “Women, youth, and religious leaders must be integrated into peacebuilding efforts.”

He also recommended the establishment of Regional Security Trust Funds, allowing states within each geopolitical zone to jointly fund security initiatives, thereby reducing the financial strain on individual states.

The roundtable featured insightful contributions from Dr. Julie Sanda, Director General of the Plateau Peace Building Agency; the Plateau State Commissioner of Police; the Commander of Operation Safe Haven; and Nanmok D. Bali, President of the Plateau Peace Practitioners Network — all of whom echoed the call for inclusive, community-driven, and contextually appropriate security reforms.

The event concluded with the formation of working groups tasked with drafting a communiqué containing actionable policy recommendations. Key takeaways included stronger stakeholder coordination, increased civic engagement, and momentum toward regionally tailored security strategies.

The Gideon and Funmi Para-Mallam Peace Foundation pledged to sustain the dialogue process and support community-led initiatives to restore Plateau’s legacy as Nigeria’s “Home of Peace and Tourism.”