Tinubu sends envoy to Plateau to tackle communal crises, facilitate peace dialogue

President Bola Tinubu has dispatched his Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement for the North Central, Dr. Abiodun Essiet, to Plateau State as part of renewed efforts to curb communal clashes, farmer–herder conflicts, and strengthen intercommunal harmony.

Essiet arrived the state on Thursday for a two-day engagement, during which she met Christian clerics, Fulani leaders, traditional rulers, youth groups, and community stakeholders, according to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

The visit culminated in a town hall meeting in Jos where delegates from various local government areas examined strategies to reinforce community-based peace structures and promote peaceful coexistence across the state.

Essiet paid a courtesy visit to Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Chairman of the Regional Church Council in Barkin Ladi, where discussions focused on faith-based leadership and its role in driving unity and social development. She also addressed widows and conveyed President Tinubu’s message of ethnic reconciliation in Plateau, with Dachomo noted as a prominent voice of the Christian community.

The presidential aide later met Fulani leaders in Barkin Ladi to encourage dialogue and understanding between pastoral and farming communities. She also conducted a workshop for all 17 local government areas on establishing sustainable community peace structures.

In a closed-door session, Essiet engaged the Irigwe community, the Miyetti Allah group, and the Bassa Youth Council, focusing on strengthening reconciliation and the work of a 17-member peace committee created to enhance dialogue between the groups.

Onanuga noted that a major early milestone from the mission was the resolution of a dispute between Agha Farm owner in Gyel District, David Toma, and herdsmen whose cows destroyed his farm. The MACBAN Chairman of Bassa LGA, Alhaji Isah Yau, paid N500,000 compensation on November 15, after which Toma released the seized cows. All parties signed an undertaking to maintain peace.

Essiet reaffirmed President Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive governance and long-term stability, describing the community-based peace structure as vital for grassroots unity and conflict transformation in the North Central region.