Plateau Youths Reject Religious Violence, Launch Peace Network

Young people from across Plateau State have rejected the use of religion to justify violence and called for perpetrators of religious and ethnic conflicts to face justice, as they announced the establishment of a multi-faith youth peace network to promote tolerance and responsible citizenship across the state.

The resolution was reached at a youth town hall on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), peacebuilding, and responsible citizenship held on Thursday, August 27, at the Joshua Dariye Hall, Plateau State Polytechnic, Jos Campus in Jos, Plateau State.. 

The town hall, organised by the FoRB Youth Ambassadors Cohort 1, Plateau State Delegation, under the auspices of Faith and Freedom Africa, brought together about 150 to 200 young people, alongside faith leaders, legal scholars, civil society advocates, peacebuilding practitioners, and other stakeholders.

The gathering was held under the theme, “Beyond Religion: Building a Generation of Peace Ambassadors for a United Plateau State.” In their communiqué, the participants declared that Freedom of Religion or Belief is a universal human right that must be protected for everyone, regardless of faith, ethnicity, or community. They also unequivocally rejected religious violence, warning against political and religious leaders who exploit identity and faith to mobilise young people for conflict.

The youths further called on legislative, judicial, and executive authorities to prosecute perpetrators of religious and ethnic violence, end impunity, and ensure that victims receive recognition, restoration, and dignity.

The conversation comes against the backdrop of a long history of ethno-religious violence in Plateau State, particularly in and around Jos, which has claimed lives, destroyed homes and livelihoods, and displaced large numbers of residents. The effects have extended beyond individual attacks, helping to deepen social and residential divisions across the Jos-Bukuru metropolis, where communities have, over time, become increasingly polarised along ethnic and religious lines.

For many residents, the wounds of successive cycles of violence have also shaped how everyday events are interpreted. Political disagreements, social interactions, security incidents, and even seemingly ordinary encounters can be viewed through the prism of past conflict, with fear, suspicion, and collective memory influencing how communities perceive one another.

It is against this background that participants argued that rebuilding trust in Plateau requires more than agreements between political and religious leaders. It requires a generation capable of recognising the manipulation of religious and ethnic identity, challenging inherited prejudices, and deliberately creating relationships across the divides that conflict has reinforced.

‘No one fights for God’

One of the strongest moments at the town hall came during the question-and-answer session when a participant asked whether violence could ever be justified as fighting for God. Responding, Sheikh Farooq Umar, a Muslim cleric, said no one could fight for God because God did not require human beings to defend Him through violence.

Violence carried out in the name of religion, he said, was a distortion of faith for human purposes.

The position was affirmed by other resource persons from different faith backgrounds and emerged as a central message of the gathering. Earlier, the keynote speaker, Prof. Dauda A. Abubakar, had urged Muslim and Christian youths to reject the role of religious foot soldiers and instead become peace ambassadors and architects of a shared future.

Speaking on “Muslim and Christian Youths as Peace Ambassadors,” Abubakar described Freedom of Religion or Belief as a universal human right, rather than a Western import or political instrument.

He also challenged young people to develop the critical awareness needed to recognise attempts by political and religious actors to manipulate their identities for personal or electoral interests.

Justice central to peace

The panel discussion was moderated by Empress Ujin J. Mallai and featured seven panellists drawn from the fields of peacebuilding, law, religious advocacy, civil society, and community development. They were Kaneng Rwang-Pam, Founder, KRP Ferma Foundation; Mr Faisal Sanusi Ibrahim, Voice Against Religious Extremism; Rev. Joshua Sati, Country Representative, Midpoint Nigeria; Dr Lere Mark, State Chairperson, YOWICAN and Legal Scholar; Maryam Mahmud Ibrahim, Assistant Programme Manager, Plateau Peace Building Agency; and Barr. Ishaq Lawal, Secretary, JNI Jos and Legal Scholar.

Dr Mark warned that peace would remain fragile if perpetrators of violence continued to escape justice. He called for urgent legal and institutional reforms to ensure accountability for religious and ethnic violence in Plateau State. He also challenged Christian youth organisations to examine their own responsibilities towards Muslim communities, stressing that peacebuilding required honest conversations within every community.

Lawal, secretary of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), an umbrella group for the Nigerian Muslim community, rejected claims that Islam was incompatible with Freedom of Religion or Belief. He urged Islamic institutions to strengthen religious and civic education among young Muslims as part of efforts to prevent radicalisation, while also calling for stronger legal measures against hate speech and incitement to religious violence.

Conflict, displacement, and trafficking

The town hall also drew attention to the links between religious conflict, displacement, and human trafficking. Kaneng Rwang-Pam, founder of KRP Ferma Foundation, said displacement, broken families, and economic hardship created conditions that traffickers could exploit. 

She urged young people, particularly young women, to challenge community silences that allow trafficking and other abuses to continue unchecked.

Faisal Sanusi Ibrahim of Voice Against Religious Extremism, who spoke from his own experience of religious extremism in Jos, urged young people to transform the pain of conflict into constructive advocacy. He warned that social media could intensify religious tensions when young people circulate unverified information or inflammatory content.

Maryam Mahmud Ibrahim, assistant programme manager at the Plateau Peace Building Agency, called for youth-led and community-owned approaches to peacebuilding. She particularly highlighted the role of young Muslim women, arguing that their participation must go beyond attendance to meaningful involvement in decision-making.

Rev. Joshua Sati, country representative of Midpoint Nigeria, urged participants to distinguish between defending one’s faith and weaponising it. He said genuine religious freedom required not only the protection of one’s own religious rights, but also respect for the rights of others.

‘I no longer have a village’

The emotional weight of the conflict was brought into sharp focus when a young woman told the gathering that she no longer had a village because of conflict.

She questioned how victims could be expected to embrace messages about Freedom of Religion or Belief while still living with the consequences of religion-fuelled violence. Her intervention prompted participants to acknowledge that FoRB advocacy could not be separated from trauma, justice, restoration, and the plight of displaced communities.

The communiqué therefore called for healing, trauma support, community restoration, and the dignified resettlement and reintegration of displaced people to become central components of peacebuilding efforts in Plateau State.

Another participant argued that peace should begin with everyday respect rather than remain confined to policies and institutional frameworks.

The idea was endorsed by the panel, which described respect for another person’s faith, worship, traditions, and dignity as one of the most practical expressions of Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Youth Peace Network established

The participants formally affirmed the establishment of the Plateau State Youth Peace Network, a grassroots, multi-faith platform intended to bring young peace ambassadors together across communities. They called on Faith and Freedom Africa, the Plateau Peace Building Agency, and other partners to support the network’s structure and long-term sustainability.

The youths also pledged to use social media responsibly by refusing to spread unverified or inflammatory content, challenging hate speech, and promoting messages of dialogue and peaceful coexistence.

They committed themselves to taking the resolutions of the town hall back to their communities, institutions, and faith organisations. The gathering ended with a declaration that the town hall should not be treated as a one-off event, but as the beginning of a sustained youth-led effort to promote religious freedom, accountability, reconciliation, and peaceful coexistence in Plateau State.

The Plateau FoRB Youth Ambassadors also commended Dr. Felix Joseph Samari, the country representative for Faith & Freedom Africa, for his continued support.