President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dispatched a presidential emissary to Plateau State as part of renewed efforts to restore peace and deepen intercommunal harmony across the state.
In a statement issued by Presidential Spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the emissary, Dr Abiodun Essiet Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North-Central), spent two days in the state last week, engaging Christian clerics, Fulani community leaders under Miyetti Allah, and other critical stakeholders on practical strategies to reinforce community-based peace structures.
Her engagements culminated in a town hall meeting in Jos, where delegates from various local government areas, traditional rulers, women’s groups, and youth leaders deliberated on approaches to strengthen coexistence and promote lasting peace among Plateau’s diverse ethnic and religious communities.
Reaffirming President Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to peacebuilding and inclusive governance, Dr Essiet also held a closed-door meeting with the Irigwe community, Miyetti Allah representatives, and the Bassa Local Government Youth Council. Discussions centred on “strengthening the 17-member peace committee responsible for dialogue, reconciliation, and conflict prevention in the area.”
The presidential envoy further facilitated a workshop focused on establishing community peace structures across Plateau’s 17 Local Government Areas. She stressed that “the Community-Based Peace Structure remains a vital tool for grassroots unity, dispute mediation, and long-term stability in the North-Central region.”
In Barkin Ladi, Dr Essiet paid a courtesy visit to Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Chairman of the Regional Church Council (RCC), where they discussed the role of faith-based leadership in promoting peace, unity, and social development. Reverend Dachomo, a respected voice in the state’s Christian community, reaffirmed “the Church’s commitment to supporting ongoing peace efforts.”
The envoy also met with widows and conveyed President Tinubu’s message of ethnic reconciliation before proceeding to engage Fulani leaders in Barkin Ladi to foster dialogue and understanding between pastoral and farming communities, an approach she said aligns with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive engagement.
A notable early outcome of her peace mission was the resolution of a dispute between Mr David Toma, owner of Agha Farm in Gyel district of Jos South, and some herdsmen whose cattle destroyed parts of his farm. After Toma seized two cows in protest, the Chairman of MACBAN in Bassa LGA, Alhaji Isah Yau, paid N500,000 in compensation on 15 November. The cows were returned, and all parties signed an undertaking pledging to maintain peace.
