President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to constitute an inclusive stakeholder committee that will thoroughly interrogate issues that fuel communal conflicts across the country, with a mandate to proffering lasting solutions to age-long disagreements that have claimed lives and property.
The President, in a statement said the committee will place a focus on the incessant clashes between the Tiv and Jukun tribes in Benue and Taraba States.
“The President is disturbed by communal clashes that have destroyed many lives and property, altered the destinies of families, and raised the profile of insecurity in the country by promoting generational tensions.
“The committee, which will work with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, will include traditional rulers, religious bodies, (specifically the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs), age groups, market/farmer/hunters associations, local and state government officials, and relevant security agencies.
“President Buhari believes Nigeria’s cultural diversity remains her greatest strength when properly harnessed and harmonized with a collective vision for unity, peace and shared prosperity, urging more patience as the government identifies and works towards creating more understanding.”
It would be recalled that about 22 people were reportedly killed in April in the clash between the two ethnic groups.
Also on Tuesday, about five people lost their lives with several houses burnt in another clash between the two groups.
More than 10,000 people from the crisis areas have also relocated to the Internally Displaced Camps.
