Retired Nigerian Army officer and former Chief of Policy and Plans, Lt. Gen. Lamidi Adeosun, has attributed the persistent insecurity in Benue, Plateau, and other Middle Belt states to weak governance and systemic failure.
Delivering the inaugural Distinguished Lecture at the Centre for Peace and Security Studies, Lagos State University (LASU), on Wednesday, Adeosun stated that the inability of government institutions to proactively manage ethno-religious tensions, regulate land use, and respond impartially to violent crises has deepened the region’s security challenges.
“The crisis of insecurity in Nigeria’s Middle Belt is a sobering indictment of leadership and state failure in a region that should otherwise serve as a pillar of national unity and agricultural prosperity,” he said.
Speaking on the theme “Strategies for Tackling Insecurity in the Middle Belt: An Insider’s Perspective,” Adeosun underscored the need for urgent governance reforms, particularly in areas of land administration and conflict mediation.
He stressed that access to land and natural resources continues to be a major trigger for clashes, particularly between indigenous farming communities and nomadic pastoralists.
“The failure to reform or enforce the Land Use Act of 1978, which centralises land control in the hands of state governors, has led to a regulatory vacuum often exploited by armed groups,” he added.
In particular, he cited the recurring herder-farmer clashes in Benue and Nasarawa as examples of state failure to enact enforceable grazing policies or resolve land disputes.
Highlighting the corrosive effects of corruption, Adeosun noted that the lack of accountability within the security sector was contributing to the public’s loss of confidence.
“During the 2018 Benue massacre, security agencies were reportedly notified in advance but failed to act. These lapses not only allow violence to fester but erode the credibility of state institutions,” he said.
According to him, the vacuum left by the weak state has birthed the rise of alternative authorities—vigilantes, ethnic militias, and warlords—who, though initially formed for community protection, have evolved into criminal networks engaged in extortion and political manipulation.
He cited the case of Terwase Akwaza, popularly known as Gana, in Benue State, as an illustration of how failed governance allows non-state actors to emerge and gain stronghold power.
Adeosun proposed a number of reforms as strategic solutions, including:
Strengthening community-led security structures like Amotekun
Institutionalising good governance
Implementing land reform and equitable resource-sharing policies
Modernising livestock farming through ranching
Dismantling the manipulation of local crises by political elites
“These strategies present a shift from top-down security models that ignore the sociocultural complexities of the Middle Belt. True peacebuilding requires local agency, inclusive leadership, and a commitment to justice,” he added.
The lecture was chaired by Prof. Adewumi Falode, Director of the Centre for Peace and Security Studies. It was attended by LASU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello (represented by Prof. Ibrahim Olateju), former Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof. Olumuyiwa Noah, and several senior officers of the Nigerian Army.
