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Operation Enduring Peace Engages Stakeholders in Jos North, Jos East and Bassa LGA to Secure Peaceful Farming Season in Plateau
The Joint Task Force, Operation Enduring Peace, has intensified efforts to sustain peace in Plateau State by convening a broad-based stakeholders’ engagement involving leaders and representatives from Jos North, Jos East, and Bassa Local Government Areas ahead of the 2026 farming season.
The engagement, held in Jos, brought together traditional rulers, religious leaders, community representatives, youth leaders, farmers, herders, and security agencies to deliberate on practical strategies for preventing conflict and ensuring a smooth agricultural season.
Speaking on behalf of the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division and Commander of Operation Enduring Peace, Major General Folusho Oyinlola, the Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Mohammed Sule, described the meeting as timely and strategic. He said the objective was to consolidate the relative peace recorded in recent months while proactively addressing emerging threats.
He commended residents of the three local government areas for their commitment to peaceful coexistence, noting a visible reduction in violent incidents due to sustained dialogue and cooperation. However, he warned that challenges such as kidnapping, attacks on mining sites, illegal arms manufacturing, and the influx of cattle into farming communities—often leading to destruction of farmlands and reprisals—remain sources of concern.
To mitigate these risks, the GOC disclosed that both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches were being deployed. He revealed that the Chief of Defence Staff has approved the distribution of fertilizers to farmers across communal divides to boost agricultural productivity and foster cooperation, while the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has deployed a Special Forces Intervention Battalion to Plateau State to reinforce ongoing operations and swiftly respond to threats.
He further urged stakeholders to strengthen community-based conflict resolution mechanisms and sensitize youths against actions capable of triggering violence, such as farm destruction and cattle poisoning. He also called on media practitioners to uphold professionalism, emphasizing that unverified or sensational reports could inflame tensions rather than promote peace.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Jos North Local Government Area, Barrister John Kyohroh Christopher, commended Operation Enduring Peace for its relentless efforts in restoring calm, particularly after the recent Angwan Rukuba attack. He assured that the local government would continue to collaborate with the Joint Task Force to consolidate peace and stability in the area.
Also speaking, the Plateau State Peacebuilding Agency, represented by Celestina Avizavi on behalf of the Director General, Dr. Julie Sanda, highlighted the critical link between peace and food security. She noted that the engagement went beyond agriculture, stressing that “where there is peace, farmers plant with confidence, herders move without fear, and communities thrive together.” She described the forum as a proactive and necessary step toward preventing conflict and safeguarding livelihoods.
Traditional institutions were also represented at the meeting. Speaking on behalf of the Ujah of Anaguta, His Majesty Pozoh Dr. Johnson Jauro Magaji II, the royal father from Nabor, HRH Haruna Bala, emphasized that such engagements are vital to strengthening the peace process at the grassroots. He assured that traditional rulers would cascade the outcomes of the meeting to their communities and engage youths to support peacebuilding efforts.
From the Fulani community, Ardo Ali Mohammed of Jos North lauded the initiative for bringing together diverse groups across religious and ethnic lines, describing it as a strong symbol of unity. He pledged that the resolutions reached would be communicated to members of his community to ensure compliance and peaceful coexistence.
Other stakeholders, including community leaders and representatives of both Christian and Muslim groups, also appreciated the military’s intervention, particularly the distribution of fertilizers, noting that it would ease the burden on farmers and encourage collaboration rather than conflict.
Participants collectively pledged to work together to ensure a peaceful farming season, emphasizing the need for vigilance, dialogue, and mutual respect among all groups.
In his concluding remarks, the GOC reaffirmed that Operation Enduring Peace remains committed to protecting all law-abiding citizens without bias, stressing that security agencies will continue aggressive operations against criminal elements. He, however, emphasized that lasting peace can only be achieved through sincere cooperation and shared responsibility among all stakeholders.
The engagement ended presentation of fertilizers to various communities with a renewed call for unity, restraint, and sustained collaboration as Plateau State prepares for the farming season.
The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have recovered large consignments of illicit substances in raids across Lagos, Borno, Kaduna, Jigawa, Edo, and Osun states.
The NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Giving a breakdown, Mr Babafemi said that a 65-year-old driver was arrested on Thursday, April 30, at Ile-Ife toll gate along the Ibadan/Ilesha Expressway, Osun, conveying a carton containing seven kg of skunk and 15 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle with registration number LES 114 AG.
“A follow up operation in Ilesha town led to the arrest of the actual owner of the consignment,” he said.
Meanwhile, a 27-year-old suspect was arrested on Wednesday, April 29, by NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Damaturu-Maiduguri Road, Borno.
Mr Babafemi said the arrest followed credible intelligence, leading to the seizure of 76,440 pills of Tramadol (225mg).
In another operation in Borno, a truck driver was arrested following the interception of 14,000 capsules of Tramadol, while a follow-up operation in Biu led to the arrest of the owner.
Mr Babafemi also said that a total of 393 blocks of compressed skunk, weighing 290 kilograms, were recovered from two suspects on Saturday, May 2.
This, he said, was when their Honda Ridgeline vehicle, marked KSF 65 EQ, was intercepted by NDLEA officers on patrol along the Abuja/Jos Highway, Kaduna State.
“No fewer than 49,800 capsules of Tramadol were seized from another set of two suspects along Bauchi Road, Hadejia, Jigawa, on Friday, May 1.
In Lagos State, NDLEA officers on Saturday, May 2, raided Awolowo Market, Mushin, where they recovered 740kg of skunk.
Mr Babafemi said that an intelligence-led operation at Idogbo community, Benin City, Edo, on Thursday, April 30, led to the arrest of a suspect.
“Assorted illicit drugs seized from him include: 57 grams of Loud; three grams of Colorado; eight grams of Tramadol; three grams of Swinol and five grams of methamphetamine,” he said.
Mr Babafemi quoted the NDLEA chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, as commending the officers and men of the Borno, Kaduna, Jigawa, Oyo, Osun, and Lagos commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures.
Mr Marwa noted their drug supply reduction efforts, balanced with WADA sensitisation activities.
He charged them and their compatriots across the country to continue to build on the current tempo.
(NAN)
Ambassador-designate to South Korea, Senator Nora Daduut, who represented Plateau South in the 9th National Assembly, has donated a Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Computer-Based Test, CBT, centre to her constituency to enhance access to examination facilities and address low digital literacy among rural students.
She also ordered the immediate training of students drawn from several secondary schools in the community in Information and Communication Technology, ICT, as part of efforts to equip young people with practical digital skills.
Senator Daduut said the initiative was aimed at empowering children in rural communities with basic computer knowledge, noting that many students still lack the digital competence required to thrive in today’s education system and computer-based examinations.
She explained that the intervention was informed by challenges observed during the last Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, where several candidates struggled to use computer-based facilities due to fear and limited exposure to ICT tools.
According to her, the development underscores the urgent need to expose young people, particularly those in rural areas, to computer education at an early stage, stressing that digital literacy has become essential for modern learning and examinations.
She disclosed that the CBT centre, built in her honour and donated by her grandchildren, is located in Kwala community of Quan’pan Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The senator said the facility would serve not only as a JAMB examination centre but also as a training hub where students and community members can acquire essential digital skills ahead of future examinations.
“It will help students overcome their fear of computers and build confidence in using digital tools, which are now central to modern learning and assessment,” she said.
Senator Daduut added that she had previously facilitated a similar ICT centre in Namu community, which was equipped with computers and learning tools to support digital education for young people.
She noted that the latest project is a continuation of her commitment to grassroots educational development and youth empowerment through ICT.
She further said the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which she noted is focused on expanding opportunities for young Nigerians and preparing them for a technology-driven global economy.
According to her, the administration’s emphasis on innovation and digital inclusion informed her resolve to deepen ICT access at the grassroots level.
Daduut also said the project is designed to bridge the gap between rural and urban students, giving them equal opportunity to compete favourably with their peers in a rapidly evolving digital world.
Speaking while commissioning the centre, the traditional ruler of Kwala Moeda District, Hon. Paul Donglong, commended the senator for what he described as a significant contribution to community development.
He urged youths and residents to take ownership of the facility and maximise its benefits.
Beneficiaries of the project also applauded the initiative, describing it as timely and impactful, especially for rural students who often lack access to ICT infrastructure.
One of the beneficiaries, Fabian Shalong, said the centre would significantly improve digital awareness and better prepare candidates for computer-based examinations.
Boemfu Timothy another beneficiary said the ICT centre would serve as a catalyst for educational advancement and long-term digital empowerment in the area, while encouraging sustained investment in rural education infrastructure.
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