The Executive Chairman of Guma Local Government Council, Hon. Maurice Orwough, has called on the people of Mbakor and Agasha to sheathe their swords and embrace lasting peace following the recent communal clash between the two communities. Orwough made the appeal during a peace and assessment visit to the affected communities, where he personally inspected areas devastated by the crisis. Several houses and other properties were destroyed and razed in the conflict, leaving communities on both sides with significant losses. The Chairman expressed concern over the destruction and urged the people to put the painful events behind them and begin the process of rebuilding trust and peaceful relationships.
The peace meeting brought together representatives of both communities, government officials and heads of security agencies. The Chairman of Tarka, Hon. Raphael Yenge, led the delegation from the Mbakor side, while representatives of Agasha also participated fully in the engagement. The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to express their concerns, listen to one another and seek a peaceful way forward.
The State Government delegation included the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. James Dwem; Commissioner for Cooperatives and Rural Development, Dr. Yanmar Ortese; Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Roy Ashirga; Chief Medical Director of the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Stephen Hwande; and the Director General of Homeland Security, retired Air Commodore Jacob Gbamwuan. Also present were heads of security agencies in Benue State, including the Director of the Department of State Services, Commander of the 72 Battalion Special Forces, Commander of the COAS Intervention Battalion and other security personnel.
Speaking during the engagement, Dr. Stephen Hwande emphasised the human cost of communal violence and the need for the people to choose peace. He stressed that conflict destroys lives, homes and livelihoods, while peace creates the environment necessary for families and communities to recover and rebuild. Commissioner for Cooperatives and Rural Development, Dr. Yanmar Ortese, also appealed to both communities to put aside their differences and embrace dialogue.
He emphasised the importance of peaceful coexistence to the social and economic development of the area, noting that communities cannot make meaningful progress when their people are constantly divided by conflict. Other stakeholders at the meeting equally called for restraint, dialogue and mutual understanding. They urged community leaders, youths and other influential persons to discourage actions and statements capable of reigniting the crisis. The security chiefs reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and security while urging residents to cooperate with security agencies and avoid taking the law into their own hands.
At the end of the engagement, both communities agreed to sheathe their swords and bury their differences. They agreed to embrace peace, forgive one another and work towards peaceful coexistence going forward. The agreement marks an important step towards restoring normalcy in the affected communities.
Stakeholders also emphasised that the responsibility for sustaining the peace does not rest on government and security agencies alone, but requires the collective commitment of traditional rulers, community leaders, youths, women and every resident. Hon. Orwough commended both communities for choosing dialogue over confrontation and appealed to them to ensure that the peace brokered during the meeting becomes permanent. He reiterated that the people of Mbakor and Agasha are neighbours who must live together, stressing that no development can thrive where there is no peace. The Chairman assured the people that the Guma Local Government Council would continue to work with the Benue State Government, security agencies and community leaders to strengthen peace, security and peaceful coexistence across the affected area.
