Retired Major General Anthony Atolagbe, a former Commander of Operation SAFE HAVEN in Plateau State, has decried the absence of a concrete implementation strategy to end the persistent violence in the region. Speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, which aired on Channels Television on Sunday, Gen. Atolagbe revealed that despite numerous reports and recommendations, no actionable framework has been developed to address the crisis effectively.
“As at 2018, there were more than 20-something reports that have been written on the crisis in Plateau,” Atolagbe noted. “And to this time, we have not seen any table—like a strategic implementation table—that says you should have so and so thing achieved by so and so time.”
The retired Army commander, who once led military operations to restore peace in Plateau State, expressed deep frustration that despite years of conflict and countless deaths, there remains no clear roadmap for sustainable peace.
He acknowledged that while the Plateau State government has established an agency to address the crisis, the lack of federal funding and support has hampered its capacity. “Except if the Federal Government has the funding to give them, I’m not sure the state has the capability to handle the problem that is within their domain right now because it will involve a lot of spending,” he explained.
Atolagbe further stressed that the violence is not one-sided. “It is true that there is a lot of killings going on. It is also not untrue that both sides are also killing each other. That was what we met, and that is what is still playing out.”
The former commander also weighed in on the sensitive issue of land grabbing, which he described as a long-standing but often under-reported dimension of the crisis. “It is not news that land grabbing has been going on for years. It’s there,” he stated. “I just commend the courage of the governor to have come out and said it because some people are afraid of saying it.”
Atolagbe criticized past administrations for their inaction, saying, “If you say people are doing these things, take steps. Those before this governor, they did not do anything.”
