President Bola Tinubu has dispatched an emissary, Dr Abiodun Essiet, to Plateau State as part of ongoing efforts to curb recurring communal violence, farmers–herders clashes, and promote intercommunal harmony in the state.
The development was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Essiet, who serves as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central), spent two days in the state beginning Thursday, meeting with Christian clerics, Fulani leaders under the Miyetti Allah umbrella, and other key stakeholders.
According to the statement, the visit also featured a town hall meeting in Jos, where delegates from various local government areas, traditional rulers, women’s groups, and youth leaders discussed ways to strengthen community-based peace structures and deepen coexistence among the state’s diverse communities.
Essiet paid a courtesy visit to Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Chairman of the Regional Church Council (RCC) in Barkin Ladi, where discussions focused on the role of faith-based leadership in promoting peace, unity, and social development.
“She addressed some widows and conveyed President Tinubu’s message of ethnic reconciliation in the state,” Onanuga said, noting that Reverend Dachomo has long been a prominent voice for Christian communities in Plateau.
Essiet also met with Fulani community leaders in Barkin Ladi to encourage dialogue and mutual understanding between farming and pastoral groups, reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive engagement.
Later, she conducted a workshop on establishing community peace structures across the 17 local government areas of Plateau State. She also held a closed-door meeting involving the Irigwe community, representatives of Miyetti Allah, and the Youth Council of Bassa LGA. Discussions centred on sustaining ongoing peace efforts and strengthening the work of the 17-member peace committee dedicated to reconciliation and coexistence.
Essiet reiterated President Tinubu’s “unwavering commitment to peace and inclusive governance,” describing the Community-Based Peace Structure initiative as a vital tool for grassroots unity, dialogue, and long-term stability in the North Central region.
The statement added that a notable “quick win” from recent peace efforts was the resolution of a dispute between David Toma, owner of Agha Farm in the Gyel district of Jos South, and some herders. Toma had seized two cows after his farm was destroyed.
On November 15, the Chairman of MACBAN in Bassa LGA, Alhaji Isah Yau, paid N500,000 in compensation to Toma, who subsequently released the cows. All parties signed an undertaking to maintain peace in the area.
