Trump’s invasion threat: FG engages Christian, Fulani leaders in Plateau on peacebuilding

In a bid to restore peace and foster intercommunal harmony in Plateau State, President Bola Tinubu’s peace team, led by Abiodun Essiet, the Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement for the North Central Zone, is currently in the region to broker peace through community engagements.

Recall that, in the wake of recent invasion threats attributed to United States President Donald Trump, President Tinubu had promised to engage affected communities to strengthen cohesion.

Read also: Trump takes fresh aim at Nigeria as US Africa command proposes options for attack

As part of efforts to broker peace in the North Central, Essiet met with the leadership of Christian clerics and Fulani Miyetti Allah community leaders.

The team also held a town hall meeting in Jos, the Plateau State capital, where delegates from various local government areas, traditional rulers, women, and youth leaders gathered to discuss ways to strengthen community-based peace structures and promote coexistence among diverse groups.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said Essiet also paid a courtesy visit to Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Chairman of the Regional Church Council (RCC) in Barkin Ladi, where discussions centred on faith-based leadership and its role in promoting peace, unity, and social development.

Along with Dachomo, she addressed widows and conveyed President Tinubu’s message of fostering ethnic reconciliation in the state. Dachomo has been one of the most prominent voices of Christian communities in the state.

She also met with Fulani leaders in Barkin Ladi to foster dialogue and mutual understanding between pastoral and farming communities, reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive engagement.

“Later in the day, she conducted a workshop on establishing a community peace structure for the 17 Local Government Areas in Jos.

“As part of the comprehensive engagements, Essiet also held a closed-door meeting with the Irigwe community, the Miyetti Allah group, and representatives from the Youth Council of Bassa LGA.

“They focused on sustaining peace and discussed how the 17-member peace committee strengthens dialogue, reconciliation, and coexistence between the two communities.”

Speaking at one of the events, Essiet reiterated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to peace and inclusive governance, noting that the Community-Based Peace Structure serves as a key instrument for grassroots unity, dialogue, and long-term stability in the North Central region. ‎

Read also: Tinubu calls for global partnership to defeat terrorism

“A quick win in the peace efforts was the resolution of the conflict between David Toma, the owner of Agha Farm in Gyel district of Jos South and some herdsmen

“Toma had seized two cows following the destruction of his farm, but on November 15, the MACBAN Chairman of BASSA LGA, Isah Yau, paid a compensation of N500,000 to Toma, who subsequently released the cows. All parties signed an undertaking to embrace peace in the state,” the statement added.