President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has deployed a peace emissary to Plateau State as part of renewed efforts to restore calm and strengthen intercommunal harmony across the region.
In a statement released from the State House, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that Dr Abiodun Essiet, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central), visited the state last Thursday on a two-day peace mission.
Meetings Across Communities
Dr Essiet held a series of engagements with Christian leaders, Fulani Miyetti Allah representatives, traditional rulers, and grassroots stakeholders. The meetings culminated in a town hall session in Jos, attended by delegates from various local government areas, women’s and youth groups, and community-based organisations.
Her visit began in Barkin Ladi, where she paid a courtesy call on Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Chairman of the Regional Church Council (RCC) and a prominent voice within Christian communities. Discussions centred on the role of faith-based leadership in promoting peace, unity, and social development. She also met with widows and conveyed President Tinubu’s message of ethnic reconciliation and community healing.
Essiet later held a separate meeting with Fulani community leaders in Barkin Ladi, aimed at improving dialogue between pastoral and farming groups and reinforcing the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive engagement.
Strengthening Local Peace Structures
As part of the visit, Essiet hosted a workshop in Jos focusing on building community peace structures across Plateau’s 17 local government areas. She also chaired a closed-door session involving the Irigwe community, the Miyetti Allah group, and representatives of the Bassa Local Government Youth Council. Discussions focused on sustaining existing peace efforts and enhancing the effectiveness of a 17-member committee dedicated to fostering reconciliation between the groups.
According to the State House, Dr Essiet underscored President Tinubu’s “unwavering commitment to peace and inclusive governance,” noting that community-based peace structures remain central to long-term stability in the North Central region.
Quick Resolution of Local Conflict
A notable outcome of the engagement was the swift resolution of a dispute between Mr David Toma, owner of Agha Farm in Gyel district of Jos South, and a group of herdsmen. The conflict arose after Toma impounded two cows following the destruction of his farmland.
On November 15, the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Bassa LGA, Alhaji Isah Yau, paid N500,000 in compensation to Toma, who subsequently released the animals. Both parties signed an undertaking committing to peaceful coexistence.
FG Reaffirms Commitment
The Presidency says ongoing engagements in Plateau State form part of a broader national strategy to strengthen early warning systems, improve dialogue frameworks, and address the root causes of communal tensions.
— Lagos Panorama
