The Chairman of Jos North Local Government Council of Plateau State, Barr. Christopher Kyohroh John, has identified rampant drug abuse and cultism as the twin devil that fuels insecurity in the state.
Kyohroh made the assertion when the Plateau State Fact-Finding Committee set up by Governor Caleb Mutfwang to investigate the root causes of recurring violence across Plateau from 2001 to date, visited the council on Friday.
He noted that cases of inter-communal violence, land grabbing and cattle rustling are often traced to drug abuse and cultism.
While addressing the team led by Major General Nicholas Rogers (Retd), Kyohroh said, “Our security challenges in Jos North are mostly internal — drug abuse, cultism, occasional kidnapping, and proliferation of arms.
“These are not terrorist attacks or ethnic clashes but homegrown issues that require collective action.
“Unlike other LGAs where we’ve seen land disputes and mass killings, Jos North is dealing with internal threats like drugs and cultism.
“We have, however, taken measures to prevent escalation, but more is needed. The use of drugs emboldens these youths and fuels isolated killings. We need support at every level to tackle this.”
Also speaking during the visit, Rogers reaffirmed the committee’s mission of finding lasting solutions to the wave of crisis that has continued to rock the state.
“We are here to listen, to assess, and to provide recommendations to His Excellency that will help restore peace and development to this land.
“We want to understand why the crisis has lingered for so long and what solutions can be explored,” he assured.
