Dachung Musa Bagos
By CHRISTIANA LOT, Jos –
A former member of the House of Representatives for Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency, Dachung Musa Bagos, has called for urgent reform of Nigeria’s security system, warning that the persistent killings in Plateau State reflect a deep failure in the country’s security architecture.
Speaking with journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Jos, Bagos described the current federal response as weak and ineffective, insisting that only a decentralized security structure can stem the violence.
“I, personally, have been advocating for state police. And I can tell you, once we get state police, part of its structure will involve empowering the locals, the local chiefs, and also empowering state governors,” he said.
“With state police, you will know that in Taroh land, for example, the DPO in charge will be a Taroh man—someone who understands the terrain, who knows the people. Policing by our own people is very key.”
Bagos argued that Nigeria has the capacity to track financial crimes but fails to apply the same urgency to investigate mass killings.
“If the EFCC can trace 80 billion naira stolen by one governor in eight years, why can’t they trace who has been killing people in that same period? You can trace the money, but you can’t trace the killers?” he queried.
He also decried the treatment of whistleblowers, saying people who report suspicious activities often become targets.
“There are many cases where community leaders or even youths, when they report someone, instead of the security agencies taking them seriously and investigating, it is they who end up being detained,” he said.
Bagos described the conflict as an industry of violence benefitting certain elements. “The most lucrative—in quotes—business for some people, especially in the underworld, is war. A lot of people benefit from the lack of peace,” he said.
He challenged youths in Plateau to prepare for leadership by building credibility and taking initiative. “We should not sit down and wait to be told what to do, but rather, stand up and be prepared to do what is right,” he said.
Turning to the media, he urged journalists to defend the image of Plateau State and counter misinformation. “Don’t let fake news define us. Yesterday I saw a page warning people not to pass through Jos. It was false. These things affect the state’s image and economy.”
“The soldier carries the gun, but you carry the pen, and your pen is more dangerous than the gun. You’ve used it to defend this land before, and you can do it again,” he said.
