Plateau State Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has ordered security agencies to shut down unauthorized activities by a group reportedly operating as Hisbah, warning that anyone attempting to enforce Islamic rules, intimidate residents, or exercise powers outside Nigeria’s legal system will face arrest and prosecution. 

The governor issued the directive on Sunday, Aug. 30, after reports that the group was operating in parts of Jos North Local Government Area, allegedly intimidating and harassing residents, demanding money, and imposing rules and restrictions without legal authority. 

Hisbah, an Arabic term commonly used for an Islamic system of moral enforcement, refers in several northern Nigerian states as Islamic Police to religious enforcement groups that monitor conduct in accordance with interpretations of Islamic law.  

In some states, like Kano, Sokoto, and Zamfara, officially recognized Hisbah bodies operate under state legislation, while other groups may function without government authorization and violate religious freedom, affecting Christians in the state.  

The Plateau government said the group at issue in Jos is not authorized to exercise such powers. 

Mutfwang declared the reported activities “illegal, unauthorized and unacceptable,” insisting that Plateau state has one constitution, one legal system and one legitimate authority. 

“No individual or group has the authority to appoint itself the government of Plateau state,” the governor said, stressing that law enforcement responsibilities belong to duly constituted authorities. 

He directed security agencies to identify and investigate those involved and to arrest and prosecute anyone found to have violated the law. He also ordered authorities to investigate individuals who may be promoting, sponsoring, assisting, or facilitating the alleged operations. 

The governor instructed security agencies to strengthen intelligence gathering and other lawful operations to determine who is behind the group and to protect residents from intimidation, harassment, extortion, and other forms of unlawful coercion. 

Growing Concerns

The crackdown comes amid continuing concerns over religious tension and insecurity in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where Christian communities have repeatedly raised concerns about attacks, displacement, and the activities of armed or self-appointed groups.  

Mutfwang emphasized that the action was not directed against any religion, ethnic group or community, saying the government’s concern was the alleged assumption of powers by a group without legal authorization. 

“Every resident of Plateau state 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,” he said. 

The governor thanked residents who alerted authorities to the reported activities and said his administration would continue to treat credible security concerns seriously. 

Plateau state has a large Christian population alongside Muslim and traditional religious communities. Jos, the state capital, has a history of deadly religious attacks by Islamic tribal Fulani Militias that killed thousands of Christians, destroyed crops, burnt houses, destroyed churches, and displaced the Christian population for the sake of Islam.   

Mutfwang reaffirmed that protecting the lives, rights, dignity and freedoms of all residents remains a fundamental responsibility of his administration, adding that the rule of law must remain supreme across the state. 

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