Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has visited Plateau State as part of efforts to engage Christian and Muslim leaders and communities affected by violent attacks in the state.

During the visit, Welby met with religious leaders in Jos and visited communities affected by violence, including Angwan Rukuba and parts of Bassa Local Government Area.

In Angwan Rukuba, the former Archbishop condoled with families affected by the Palm Sunday attacks, while in Bassa, he delivered a message of hope to residents who have endured years of violence.

Welby was accompanied by the Founder of El-Buba Outreach Ministries International (EBOMI), Prophet Isa El-Buba; Rev. Steve Dangana; the Special Adviser on Religious Affairs to the Plateau State Governor; and the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Plateau State chapter, Rev. Dr. Dunka Gomwalk.

As part of the engagement, Welby held discussions with members of the Plateau State Inter-Religious Advisory Council before visiting the Jos Central Mosque, where he met with Muslim leaders.

Speaking on the purpose of his visit, Welby said he was interested in supporting Christian and Muslim leaders in identifying practical ways of preventing further attacks and protecting vulnerable communities.

He called for sustained commitment to peacebuilding, compassion and the protection of vulnerable people, drawing from his experiences in international peacebuilding efforts.

Welby said the situation in Plateau was receiving international attention, adding that people in different parts of the world were praying for an end to the violence.

“My message is many people long to see this end and are praying for them around the world. Keep praying, keep working, keep vigilant and God will deliver,” he said.

The former Archbishop also commended recent peace and security initiatives in some communities, including the training of local vigilantes and the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

During the visit to Bassa, His Royal Highness, Rt. Rev. Ronku Aka, said the community had lost more than 3,000 people to violent attacks over the past decade.

He appealed for continued prayers and stronger efforts towards finding lasting solutions to insecurity, stressing that meaningful development would remain difficult without peace.

Chairman of the Plateau State Inter-Religious Advisory Council, Rev. Dr. Pandam Yamsat, urged Christian and Muslim leaders to strengthen their cooperation in addressing the state’s security challenges.

Yamsat said religious leaders already possessed important elements of the solution to the peace challenges confronting Plateau and should return to the dialogue table to identify practical measures for promoting peace.

He maintained that differences between the two faith communities should not prevent constructive engagement, adding that peace could be achieved through sustained cooperation.

“Peace is doable. If we want peace, we will have it on the Plateau,” Yamsat said.

The Founder of EBOMI, Prophet Isa El-Buba, also called for stronger collaboration between Christians and Muslims in responding to violence across northern Nigeria.

El-Buba described every loss of human life as a loss to society, irrespective of the victim’s religion or ethnic background.

He urged religious leaders and communities to work together and prevent religious differences from being exploited to fuel violence.

According to him, his organisation has continued to promote cooperation between Christians and Muslims while supporting initiatives aimed at empowering vulnerable groups.

El-Buba also advocated programmes to provide Almajiri children with structured Islamic education and guidance, saying such interventions could reduce their vulnerability to extremist interpretations of religious teachings.

At the Jos Central Mosque, the Chief Imam, Sheikh Ghazali Isma’ila Adam, identified youth involvement, stereotyping and political manipulation as some of the challenges affecting peacebuilding efforts.

He called for peace initiatives to extend beyond meetings involving political and religious elites to include young people and communities directly affected by conflict.

The Chief Imam also encouraged increased interaction between Christian and Muslim communities, including visits to one another’s places of worship, saying such engagements could help challenge negative stereotypes and promote peaceful coexistence among younger generations.

The Director-General of the Plateau Peace Building Agency and Secretary of the Plateau State Inter-Religious Advisory Council, Dr. Julie Sanda, said the council’s activities extended beyond meetings and policy discussions.

According to Sanda, religious leaders had accompanied peacebuilding teams to affected communities to comfort residents, listen to their concerns and demonstrate solidarity.

She thanked Welby for visiting Plateau and listening to the experiences of religious and community leaders, expressing hope that the engagement would lead to further collaboration and the exchange of peacebuilding experiences.

Welby’s visit comes amid renewed security concerns in parts of Plateau State, where the government, religious leaders and security agencies have continued engagements aimed at preventing attacks, strengthening community protection and promoting peaceful coexistence.

The former Archbishop had earlier paid a visit to Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, as part of his engagements in the state.

Gunmen have attacked a vegetable market in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing five people and injuring several others.