IN renewed efforts to resolve lingering communal tensions in Plateau State, the Federal Government has expanded its grassroots peace consultations with a visit to prominent Christian cleric, Ezekiel Dachomo, a Reverend and the Chairman of the Regional Church Council (RCC) in Barkin Ladi.
This was made known in a statement by the state house on Sunday, November 16, 2025, signed by a senior media aide, Bayo Onanuga.
The delegation was led by a Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Community Engagement (North Central), Abiodun Essiet, on Thursday, November 13, as part of a two-day mission to reinforce intercommunal dialogue and rebuild trust among conflict-affected communities.
The visit comes days after Folusho Oyinlola, a Major General and General Officer Commanding 3 Division of the Nigerian Army and Commander of Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP), assured Dachomo of maximum protection following the cleric’s reports of receiving death threats over his comments on alleged attacks on Christians in Plateau State.
Dachomo had earlier stated in several Facebook videos that he has been threatened through calls, text messages, and social media because of his advocacy. He also claimed attempts were previously made on his life during mass burials, referencing the killing of Senator Gyang Dantong in a similar circumstance.
During the visit, Essiet addressed widows and community members alongside Rev. Dachomo, emphasising the president’s commitment to healing divides and strengthening coexistence among the Plateau’s diverse groups.
Essiet, a senior special assistant on community engagement in the North Central Zone, spent two days in the state. She met Christian clerics and Fulani Miyetti Allah community leaders.
The ICIR reports that the efforts culminated in a town hall meeting in Jos.
Also, delegates from various local government areas, traditional rulers, women, and youth leaders gathered to discuss ways to strengthen community-based peace structures and promote coexistence among diverse communities.
Essiet visited Dachomo in Barkin Ladi, where discussions centred on faith-based leadership and its role in promoting peace, unity, and social development.
Along with Dachomo, she addressed some widows and conveyed President Tinubu’s message of fostering ethnic reconciliation in the state.
Recall, Dachomo has been the loudest voice of Christian communities in the state, which has drawn both local and international attention to the ethno-religious crisis in the region.
The statement highlighted that, as part of early wins from the engagements, a long-running dispute in Jos South between Agha Farm owner, David Toma, and herders over the seizure of two cows was resolved.
The Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Bassa local government area, Isah Yau, paid N500,000 compensation to Toma, who released the livestock, with all parties signing an undertaking to maintain peace.
Essiet reaffirmed that President Tinubu remains committed to stabilising Plateau State through inclusive governance and locally driven conflict-resolution mechanisms, describing the Community-Based Peace Structure as a cornerstone of long-term stability in the North Central region.
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org