Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

Conflict and peace-building experts have called on the federal government to regulate community based vigilance groups and integrate them into formal structures to ensure accountability and coherence.  

This is just as they recommended a shift from militarised interventions to deploying community-based approaches that build trust and prioritise prevention to solve the violence in the North Central region of the country.

The experts made the submissions at a webinar hosted by the Conflict Research Network West Africa (CORN West Africa) where leading experts and practitioners came together to dissect the violence plaguing the North Central and chart actionable pathways toward peace and human security.

 The Director of Public Communications of the organisation, Prof. Oludayo Tade, in a statement in Ibadan, yesterday said the panelists which include a social entrepreneur and justice advocate and Founder of Sesor Empowerment Foundation, Ms. Ier Jonathan-Ichaver; 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 Musa Plangshak, and an expert in security governance and strategic studies, Prof. Albert Chukwuma Okoli, in the webinar with the theme, “Violence in North Central Nigeria: Pathways to Peace and Human Security,” 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 panelists called for bold actions to end the violence in the region.

While Prof. 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, Ms. Jonathan-Ichaver on her part highlighted the inadequacy of state response, noting that security agencies often fail to act on early warnings and lack investigative capacity.

In his contribution, Prof. 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,” he said.

In his submission, Dr. 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 peace building in the region.

He said: “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.”

Other roadmap to peace in the region as suggested by the panelists include inclusive peace building requires the active engagement of women, youth, and traditional leaders in dialogue and decision-making; grassroots initiatives that promote trust, reconciliation, and social cohesion should be supported and scaled and governance must be restructured to decentralize power and strengthen local governments, enabling them to respond more effectively to community needs. 

Others are constitutional reforms should reflect Nigeria’s diversity, fostering a more inclusive and responsive political framework; justice and accountability are essential; strengthening investigative capacity and prosecuting perpetrators will help end impunity and psychosocial support and resettlement programs are vital for restoring dignity and healing among victims.”

The Executive Director of CORNWEST Africa, Dr Allison, who noted that the organisation reaffirmed its commitment to collaborative research, policy innovation, and amplifying community voices, urged government actors, civil society, academia, and international partners to act decisively, stating that 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 North Central Nigeria,” he said. 

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