Tinubu Sends Emissary to Plateau to Tackle Communal Crises, Strengthen Peace Efforts

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent an emissary, Dr. Abiodun Essiet, to Plateau State as part of ongoing efforts to address recurring communal conflicts, farmers–herders clashes, and promote intercommunal harmony.

This was revealed in a statement on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Essiet, who serves as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central), visited the state on Thursday and spent two days meeting with key stakeholders, including Christian clerics and leaders of the Fulani Miyetti Allah community.

Her visit culminated in a town hall meeting in Jos, where delegates from various local government areas, traditional rulers, women, and youth leaders gathered to discuss strengthening community-based peace structures and enhancing coexistence among diverse groups.

Onanuga stated that Essiet paid a courtesy visit to Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Chairman of the Regional Church Council (RCC) in Barkin Ladi, where discussions focused on how faith-based leadership can promote peace, unity, and social development. She also met with widows, conveying President Tinubu’s message of ethnic reconciliation.

Essiet later met with Fulani leaders in Barkin Ladi in a bid to foster dialogue and mutual understanding between farming and pastoral communities. Her engagements reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive peacebuilding.

She also conducted a workshop on establishing community peace structures across the 17 local government areas of Plateau State and held a closed-door meeting with the Irigwe community, the Miyetti Allah group, and representatives of the Youth Council of Bassa LGA. Discussions centered on sustaining peace and strengthening the 17-member peace committee driving reconciliation efforts between the two communities.

Essiet reiterated President Tinubu’s commitment to peace and inclusive governance, stressing that community-based structures remain vital tools for fostering unity, dialogue, and long-term stability in the North Central region.

A notable early achievement of the peace efforts was the resolution of a dispute involving David Toma, owner of Agha Farm in Gyel district, Jos South, and several herdsmen whose cattle destroyed his farm. Toma had seized two cows following the incident.

On November 15, the Chairman of MACBAN in Bassa LGA, Alhaji Isah Yau, paid ?500,000 compensation to Toma, who subsequently released the cows. All parties signed an undertaking to maintain peace.