NIGERIA: Tinubu Dispatches Peace Emissary To Plateau As Herdsmen, Farmer Conflict Resolves With ₦500,000 Compensation

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria 

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has intensified efforts to restore lasting peace in crisis-prone Plateau State by sending Dr Abiodun Essiet, his senior special assistant on community engagement for the North Central Zone, on a two-day mediation mission that culminated in a landmark town hall and the swift resolution of a local farmer-herdsmen dispute.

The initiative, which brought together Christian clerics, Fulani leaders, traditional rulers, women, and youth from across the state’s 17 local government areas, underscores the administration’s push for grassroots dialogue and inclusive governance amid recurring intercommunal tensions.

Essiet arrived in Plateau last Thursday and immediately engaged key stakeholders in a series of high-level meetings designed to rebuild trust between pastoral and farming communities.

In Barkin Ladi, she paid a courtesy visit to Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, chairman of the Regional Church Council and a prominent voice for Christian communities in the state.

Their discussions focused on harnessing faith-based leadership to drive peace, unity, and social development. During the visit, Essiet addressed a group of widows, relaying President Tinubu’s personal commitment to ethnic reconciliation and support for vulnerable groups affected by years of violence.

The emissary also held direct talks with Fulani leaders in Barkin Ladi, emphasizing mutual understanding and the federal government’s dedication to balanced engagement that protects the interests of both herders and farmers.

These sessions laid the groundwork for broader reconciliation efforts.

The mission’s centerpiece was a town hall meeting in Jos, where delegates from every local government area convened to explore the establishment of community-based peace structures.

Essiet later facilitated a workshop dedicated to creating these frameworks across all 17 local government areas, aiming to institutionalize dialogue and prevent future conflicts at the grassroots level.

In a closed-door session, representatives from the Irigwe community, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, and the Youth Council of Bassa Local Government Area reviewed the operations of an existing 17-member peace committee.

Participants committed to strengthening its role in mediation, reconciliation, and promoting coexistence.

A tangible breakthrough emerged on November 15 when a long-standing dispute between David Toma, owner of Agha Farm in Gyel district of Jos South, and local herdsmen was resolved. After Toma seized two cows in response to crop destruction on his farmland, Alhaji Isah Yau, chairman of MACBAN in Bassa LGA, paid five hundred thousand naira in compensation.

Toma promptly released the animals, and all parties signed a formal undertaking to uphold peace in the area.

Throughout her engagements, Dr Essiet repeatedly highlighted President Tinubu’s vision of a united North Central region, describing the community-based peace structures as essential tools for sustainable stability.

The mission has been hailed by local leaders as a practical step toward ending cycles of violence that have claimed thousands of lives and displaced communities in Plateau over the years.