President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has intensified efforts to restore lasting peace in Plateau State with the deployment of a federal peace emissary, Dr. Abiodun Essiet, who concluded a two-day engagement with religious leaders, traditional rulers, community groups and youth representatives in the state.
Essiet, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central), arrived Plateau on Thursday, meeting separately with Christian clerics and Fulani Miyetti Allah leaders before convening a broad town hall meeting in Jos.
The parley, which brought together delegates from various local government areas, traditional rulers, women leaders and youth groups, focused on strengthening community-based peace structures and promoting coexistence among diverse ethnic and religious communities in the state.
In Barkin Ladi, she paid a courtesy visit to Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Chairman of the Regional Church Council, where discussions centred on the role of faith-based leadership in building unity and driving social development.
Dachomo, regarded as one of the most vocal figures for Christian communities in Plateau, joined Essiet in addressing widows and conveying President Tinubu’s message of ethnic reconciliation.
The presidential envoy also held talks with Fulani leaders in Barkin Ladi to deepen dialogue between pastoralist and farming communities, reaffirming the government’s commitment to inclusive engagement.
She later facilitated a workshop on establishing community peace structures across the 17 Local Government Areas.
A closed-door session in Bassa brought together the Irigwe community, Miyetti Allah representatives and the Youth Council of Bassa LGA.
Discussions focused on sustaining peace and strengthening the work of the 17-member peace committee fostering dialogue and reconciliation among local groups.
Essiet reiterated President Tinubu’s “unwavering commitment to peace and inclusive governance,” stressing that community-based peace mechanisms remain essential for grassroots unity and long-term stability in the North Central region.
A major early success of the intervention was recorded in Jos South, where a lingering dispute between a farmer, David Toma, and some herdsmen was resolved.
Toma had seized two cows after his farm in Gyel district was destroyed. On November 15, the Chairman of MACBAN in Bassa LGA, Alhaji Isah Yau, paid N500,000 compensation to Toma, who subsequently released the cows.
Both sides signed an undertaking to maintain peace.
The Presidency said the Plateau visit forms part of the administration’s broader strategy to strengthen dialogue frameworks and encourage harmony across conflict-prone communities.
