Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has outlawed the activities of a group called “HISBA” operating in parts of Jos North Local Government Area, describing them as “illegal, unauthorised and unacceptable” in the state. The governor has ordered security agencies to halt the group’s operations immediately and arrest those behind them, following reports that the group […] The post ‘HISBA’ activities in Plateau are illegal, unacceptable — Gov Mutfwang appeared first on Tribune Online .
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has outlawed the activities of a group called “HISBA” operating in parts of Jos North Local Government Area, describing them as “illegal, unauthorised and unacceptable” in the state.
The governor has ordered security agencies to halt the group’s operations immediately and arrest those behind them, following reports that the group had been involved in “intimidation, harassment, extortion and imposition of unauthorised rules on residents.”
Dr Gyang Bere, the governor’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, quoting Mutfwang as saying, “The Executive Governor of Plateau State, His Excellency, Caleb Mutfwang, Esq., has directed an immediate halt to the activities of a group reportedly operating under the name HISBA in parts of Jos North Local Government Area, declaring such activities illegal, unauthorised and unacceptable in Plateau State.”
Mutfwang cautioned that anyone linked to the group should “immediately desist from such conduct or face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
He insisted that no individual or group could exercise powers not granted to it by law, stressing that “Plateau State has one Constitution, one legal system and one legitimate authority, and that no individual or group has the right to assume powers that have not been conferred upon it by law.”
According to him, the state government would not tolerate any rival authority operating outside the law, adding that it “will not permit the emergence of any parallel authority, self-appointed enforcement body or group seeking to impose rules, restrictions or sanctions on citizens outside the established legal framework of the Nigerian state.”
“No individual or group has the authority to appoint itself the government of Plateau State. The responsibility for enforcing the law belongs to duly constituted authorities acting within the law,” he said.
The governor has directed security agencies to identify and investigate those involved in the reported activities, with a mandate to prosecute anyone found culpable, as well as those “promoting, sponsoring, aiding or abetting such unlawful activities,” once sufficient evidence is established.
He equally ordered the agencies to step up intelligence gathering and other lawful operations to unmask those behind the activities, in order to protect residents from “intimidation, harassment, extortion or any other form of unlawful coercion.”
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Mutfwang, however, clarified that the crackdown was not targeted at any religion or ethnic group, noting that “this directive is not directed at any religion, ethnic group or community. Plateau State remains home to people of diverse faiths, ethnicities and backgrounds, all of whom are entitled to equal protection under the law.”
He explained that the government’s concern bordered solely on lawful conduct and legitimate authority, stressing that every resident has “the right to live, worship, work, conduct lawful business and go about their daily activities without intimidation or interference from any self-appointed authority.”
The governor commended residents who reported the group’s activities to the authorities, assuring that his administration would continue to treat every credible security concern with seriousness, as protecting the lives, rights, dignity and lawful freedoms of residents remains a fundamental responsibility of government.
He restated his commitment to Plateau State’s tradition of peaceful coexistence among its diverse faiths and ethnicities, vowing to defend it by ensuring that peace is protected, citizens are treated equally, and the rule of law remains supreme.
