Community leaders, residents, and peace advocates from Duse Kura, Rafiki, and Maraban Dere communities in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State on Thursday convened for a town hall meeting aimed at strengthening peaceful coexistence and addressing emerging threats that could disrupt the relative peace in the area.
The meeting, held at the Duse Kura Community Secretariat, was organized under the Harnessing Opportunities for Peace and Empowerment (HOPE) project implemented by the Dialogue Reconciliation and Peace Centre (DREP Centre) in partnership with the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD).
Speaking during the meeting, Project Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator at DREP Centre, Adamu Gabriel, explained that the initiative is part of ongoing efforts to build peace in conflict-affected communities across Plateau State.
He said the project focuses on strengthening local structures capable of preventing violence through community-led initiatives.
According to him, “My name is Adamu Gabriel. I work with the Dialogue, Reconciliation and Peace Centre and we are implementing a project titled ‘Harnessing Opportunities for Peace and Empowerment’ in Plateau State. The communities we are working with include Duse Kura, Maraban Dere, Rafiki, Yelwa-Zangam, and Meferimota.”
Gabriel explained that trained community volunteers known as Peace Vanguards were established to help detect and prevent potential conflicts.
“They are trained community members who have received peace education on conflict prevention, early warning and early response. They serve as vanguards within their communities to prevent violence from happening,” he said.
He added that the town hall meeting was initiated by the Peace Vanguard members themselves as a platform for dialogue.
“This activity is part of their own initiative. They saw the need for a town hall meeting, organized it, and we are here to support them so they can discuss issues and possible threats within the community and identify ways to avert them,” he noted.
Residents at the meeting emphasized the importance of maintaining unity among the three communities despite tensions often reported in neighboring areas.
A community member from Maraban Dere, Habibi Muhammad, said while peace exists within the communities, external developments could easily trigger tension if not properly managed.
“Amongst us there is peace, but there is the issue of what is happening around us in other communities. We need to think about how to address it so it doesn’t enter our communities,” he said.
He also warned about the dangers of misinformation spreading rapidly on social media.
“There is also the issue of the way information flies. Something happens and someone posts it on social media without confirming the details, exaggerating the whole thing. Before you know it, the story is everywhere, even things that did not happen in our community are attributed to us,” he added.
Team Lead of the Peace Vanguard in Maraban Dere, Zainab Abubakar, proposed stronger collaboration between the three communities to sustain the peace already being enjoyed.
“We suggest establishing joint security among the three communities. We also urge our leaders to hold consistent meetings to discuss issues early so that they don’t get out of hand,” she said.
Abubakar further stressed the importance of women’s participation in peacebuilding.
“Women should be involved in the whole process, especially when it concerns youths. We want to make sure the relative peace we enjoy is sustained,” she stated.
Residents also highlighted the role of parents in guiding young people away from activities that could fuel violence.
Laraba Payoff from Duse Kura called on parents, particularly mothers, to take responsibility for the conduct of their children.
“We parents, especially women, should hold on to our youths because a child can never become older than their parents. We should not fear our children,” she said.
Another resident, Akaso Ajaba, pointed out that parents sometimes struggle to control their children and may need support from authorities.
“There are times we see certain behaviours in our children and warn them but they won’t listen. That is why we need to involve authorities they will listen to, like counsellors, NDLEA, and the police,” he said.
Ajaba identified drug abuse, misinformation, and quick reactions to rumours as major triggers of conflict.
“We have issues of drug usage, misinformation, exaggeration of information and quick reactions which escalate conflict. Sometimes even elders who are supposed to be the thinking caps are the ones fueling issues,” he added.
Also speaking, John Adange advised community members to be mindful of individuals their children associate with.
“Some of our children start moving with friends we are not familiar with. We need to know who they are because some of them may be criminal minds on the run,” he said.
Adange further urged residents to avoid harbouring grudges.
“We need to shun malice among us, resolve issues calmly and be forgiving and resourceful,” he noted.
Religious leader Pastor Monday Awulibi said the gathering itself was a sign that the communities were committed to maintaining peace.
“I am very happy about this meeting because our gathering here signifies that we want to continue enjoying peace. We cannot achieve that if we do not identify problems,” he said.
Awulibi cautioned against protecting criminals due to personal relationships.
“From my observation in some conflicting communities around us, there is selfish interest where people protect criminals because of kinship or benefits. Covering up for offenders only escalates issues that could have been resolved easily,” he said.
He also urged communities to establish clear rules ahead of the farming season.
“Another issue is between herders and farmers. As the rainy season approaches there should be laid down rules and penalties for livestock and even pig farming,” he added.
The Ardo of Duse Kura, Muhammad Bako Abubakar, raised concerns about drug abuse among youths and questioned why such groups sometimes carry out attacks along ethnic or religious lines.
“These youths gather together to take drugs and they do not segregate by tribe or religion. But when attacks happen they suddenly do it based on ethnicity or religion. That shows there are people taking advantage of their lack of awareness when they are high,” he said.
He also called for vigilance when renting out houses in the community.
“Before accepting any tenant, especially strangers, we must know where they came from and what they are here for so we do not accommodate troublemakers,” he warned.
Village Head of Duse Kura, Igmala Ayibini, emphasized that community members must act on the issues raised rather than merely discussing them.
“It is not enough that we say all these things; we need to practise them. As parents, how can we be afraid of the children we gave birth to and raised?” he asked.
Ayibini urged parents to become role models for their children.
“We need to ask ourselves what we are not doing right as parents so we can become role models and authorities for our children. We must know our children well so they do not deceive us or hide things from us,” he said.
Also speaking, Salisu Yahu, the Maraban Dere Youth Leader and a member of the Peace Vanguard, recommended including farmers and herders in similar dialogue sessions.
“As we are gathered like this, we should also bring together herders and farmers so they can identify possible issues since the rainy season is approaching. Because it concerns them directly, they will be in a better position to proffer solutions,”he said.
The Project Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator Adamu Gabriel, further noted that discussions during the meeting highlighted drug abuse as one of the most pressing concerns affecting youths.
“From what has been said so far, the prominent issue is the use of drugs. If you recall from our past trainings and gatherings, we emphasized the need for inclusion, especially for youths and children,” he said.
Gabriel stressed that lack of engagement among young people often creates room for negative influences.
“The moment there is no inclusion and engagement at every level of society, idleness sets in and that gives room for vices. We should engage young people in family activities, decisions and discussions. Let them go to school and learn skills or trades,” he added.
He explained that this was one of the reasons community members were included in various peacebuilding trainings under the project.
“That is why we engaged many of you in some of our trainings, so that together we can build communities that are peaceful and resilient,” Gabriel said.
Participants at the meeting agreed to strengthen collaboration among community leaders, parents, and youths in order to preserve the peace currently enjoyed in the three communities.