North-Central On Edge: Fear, Displacement & A Bleeding Heart Amid Failing Security

By SANI BATURE

THE North-Central region of Nigeria — once the country’s breadbasket and cultural heartland — is now a landscape of fear, flight, and forgotten promises. From Benue’s emptied farmlands to Kwara’s lithium-fueled bloodshed, the region’s agony captures the tragedy of a nation struggling to contain violence that has hollowed out its rural communities and displaced millions.

What began as scattered farmer–herder clashes has evolved into a full-blown humanitarian crisis stretching across Benue, Plateau, Niger, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, and even parts of Adamawa. Over 2.5 million people have been displaced, tens of thousands killed, and agricultural production crippled. The United Nations warns that food insecurity will deepen unless displaced farmers return to their land soon — a prospect that looks increasingly uncertain.

Benue: A State Under Siege

Benue, long dubbed the “Food Basket of the Nation,” is now a patchwork of abandoned farms and overcrowded displacement camps. Over 6,800 people have been killed in the last four years, mostly in Guma, Logo, Gwer-West, Agatu, Makurdi, and Kwande.

Governor Hyacinth Alia calls it “a slow war of attrition.” Entire communities now depend on IDP camps in Makurdi and Gbajimba for survival. “We have buried our people and lost our farms — now we live as refugees in our own land,” said one displaced farmer in Abagena.

Plateau: Echoes of a Fading Peace

In Plateau State, peace remains fragile despite years of military intervention. The 2023 Mangu and Bokkos massacres, which left 1,200 homes destroyed and 25,000 displaced, underscored how deeply communal fault lines run.

Despite curfews, gunmen continue to strike remote villages. “We are at the mercy of attackers who vanish before soldiers arrive,” said Pastor Istifanus Dung of Barkin Ladi. Analysts warn that without genuine reconciliation and security reform, Plateau’s fragile coexistence could collapse entirely.

Niger: Nigeria’s Hidden Warfront

In Niger State, violence has become routine. Over 2,400 people have been killed since 2021, with 500 villages sacked and farmlands inaccessible. The Shiroro, Rafi, and Munya corridors — thick with forests — have become sanctuaries for heavily armed bandits.

Governor Umar Bago admits that vast agricultural zones remain cut off, threatening food supply and livelihoods. “Niger is now a humanitarian and security flashpoint,” one local analyst said, “yet it rarely makes national headlines.”

Kogi: From Industrial Heartland to Hostage Territory

Kogi State has seen 800 deaths and 200 kidnappings between 2021 and 2024. Attacks have grown more sophisticated, often aided by local informants. Despite police checkpoints, abductions of students, farmers, and travelers have become common.

In Ajaokuta and Itobe, the scars of violence are visible in charred homes and deserted schools. “The road to Lokoja has become a road of fear,” one commercial driver lamented.

Nasarawa: The Border of Turmoil

In Nasarawa, raids, airstrikes, and reprisals have left more than 400 people dead in four years. Porous borders with Benue and Kogi make the state a corridor for armed groups. The December 2021 “Nasarawa Massacre” and the January 2023 Akwanaja airstrike, which killed 40 herders, continue to fuel resentment and revenge attacks.

Despite arrests and arms recoveries, weak intelligence sharing and underfunded police units have hindered lasting peace.

Kwara: Lithium, Loot, and Lawlessness

In Kwara State, a once-quiet corner of the Middle Belt, violence has surged alarmingly. Over 150 deaths and 300 kidnappings have been recorded in two years. The discovery of lithium deposits in Oke-Ode — a mineral now likened to “white gold” — has triggered a deadly scramble among armed groups.

Bandits, reportedly from the Mahmuda faction, exploit forest belts across Kaiama, Edu, and Patigi as hideouts. Traditional rulers accuse the government of neglecting rural security, while allegations of local complicity deepen mistrust.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has deployed 700 hunters as forest guards and brought in the army’s 2nd Division to restore calm. Yet, opposition leaders, including former Senate President Bukola Saraki, insist these are short-term fixes without intelligence reform and community rebuilding.

Adamawa: The Spillover State

Though officially in the North-East, Adamawa bears the overflow of North-Central’s chaos. In Fufore and Madagali, 500 deaths and 1,200 abductions since 2021 reflect the interlink between Boko Haram insurgents and roaming bandit networks.

Humanitarian groups say more than 15,000 people are now living in camps in Mubi and Yola. “The line between insurgency and banditry has vanished,” a security expert warned. “What we are seeing is a network of conflict economies.”

A Region in Limbo

Across the North-Central, displacement, hunger, and trauma are reshaping daily life. Agricultural output in Benue and Plateau has dropped by 40 per cent, food prices have soared, and thousands of schools and clinics lie in ruins.

Despite repeated military operations, from Operation Whirl Stroke to Enduring Peace, the violence persists — exposing the limitations of force without governance. Civil society leaders say what the region needs is not just bullets, but rebuilding: restoring trust, infrastructure, and livelihoods.

Between Despair and Resolve

Yet, amid the despair, resilience persists. Displaced farmers in Benue are forming cooperatives; youth in Kwara are volunteering for security patrols; women in Plateau are leading interfaith peace dialogues.

But without strong political will, coordinated intelligence, and honest community engagement, the North-Central risks becoming a permanent war zone — Nigeria’s bleeding heart that refuses to heal.

As one displaced mother in Makurdi put it, staring at her tent of patched tarpaulin:

“We don’t want pity. We just want to go home.”