By Dr. Nafisat Makinde
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has intensified efforts to calm tension in Plateau State by sending a peace emissary, Dr Abiodun Essiet, to lead fresh engagements aimed at rebuilding trust among communities long divided by conflict. The mission marked one of the most deliberate pushes in recent months to address recurring clashes in the North Central region.
The visit, announced in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, detailed Essiet’s two day tour of hotspots in the state. She met Christian clerics, Fulani Miyetti Allah leaders, traditional rulers, women and youth groups in a series of dialogues that culminated in a town hall meeting in Jos to strengthen community led peace structures.
In Barkin Ladi, Essiet paid a courtesy visit to Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Chairman of the Regional Church Council, where discussions focused on how faith based leadership can promote unity and social stability. She also met with widows in the community and delivered President Tinubu’s message of reconciliation while urging residents to rebuild trust.
She later held a separate engagement with Fulani community leaders in Barkin Ladi and emphasized the need for deeper dialogue between farmers and pastoralists. In Jos, she conducted a workshop for all 17 Local Government Areas and outlined a model for a community peace structure designed to curb disputes before they escalate.
Essiet also facilitated a closed door session involving the Irigwe community, the Miyetti Allah group and the Bassa Local Government Youth Council. The meeting reviewed ongoing tensions and reaffirmed the mandate of the 17 member peace committee responsible for sustaining reconciliation efforts and preventing new hostilities.
A notable early breakthrough came during the visit when a dispute between a Jos South farmer, David Toma, and some herdsmen was resolved. After Toma seized two cows for destroying his farm, the Chairman of MACBAN in Bassa Local Government Area, Alhaji Isah Yau, paid 500,000 naira in compensation on November 15, which led to the release of the animals. Both parties signed an undertaking to maintain peace, signalling a positive outcome from the renewed federal intervention.
