By Augustine Ehikioya
For safety in the area, the Headquarters 3 Division Nigerian Army and Joint Task Force, Operation ENDURING PEACE (JTF OPEP), have hosted a one-day expanded stakeholders meeting on Wednesday, 26 November, 2025.
The Forum aimed to foster a secure harvest period and peaceful Yuletide season across Plateau State and its neighbouring States.
Held at Headquarters 3 Division, Maxwell Khobe Cantonment in Jos, the event gathered participants from frontline Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Plateau, parts of Kaduna and Bauchi States.
In his opening remarks, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division and Commander Operation ENDURING PEACE, Major General Folusho Oyinlola, described the engagement as a timely initiative to strengthen collaborative security efforts. He noted that previous engagements had significantly reduced incidents of farm destruction, cattle rustling, and other crisis triggering crimes.
Major General Oyinlola, in a statement by Major Samson Nantip Zhakom, Media Information Officer, JTF Operation ENDURING PEACE, and made available to Security Watch Africa (SWA), emphasised that the Operation’s non-kinetic initiatives have enhanced community led policing leading to a notable improvements in local security.
He stated that the seminar’s theme, “Strengthening Community Partnership for a Secure Harvest and Yuletide Season,” reflects OPEP’s mission to build inclusive, resilient, community-based frameworks for lasting peace.
Highlighting recent security gains, the GOC revealed that troops had neutralised several armed criminal elements in meeting engagements across the Joint Operations Area in the past months.
He assured the public that OPEP remains committed to maintaining dominance over ungoverned spaces and preventing criminals from regrouping.
He urged stakeholders to work closely with security agencies and cascade the resolutions from the engagement down to their communities.
The Commander also issued a stern warning to non-state actors, stating that any attempts to disrupt the festive season would be responded to firmly and decisively.
Representing the Plateau State Governor, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang, the Special Adviser on Security and Coordinator of Operation RAINBOW, Brigadier General GG Shippi (rtd), commended the security agencies for their efforts in improving public safety.
He assured citizens of the State Government’s unwavering commitment to supporting security agencies until insecurity is eradicated.
Stakeholders at the event reinforced the critical importance of dialogue and community partnership to national security.
They described peace as a prerequisite for development and called on all parties to prioritize reconciliation and strengthen ties among diverse ethno-religious groups.
They recommended creating more avenues for engaging disputing groups at all levels, stressing that dialogue remains the most effective method for conflict resolution.
The highlights of the seminar were the intensive stakeholder interactions aimed at ensuring peace in the Joint Operations Area.
