From John Lamma, Jalingo

In an effort to promote lasting peace and peaceful coexistence in society, Bishop Ande Emmanuel of the United Methodist Church Nigeria (UMCN) has called for stronger collaboration among the Church, Muslim community and media.

Emmanuel made the call on Friday at the closing session of a five-day Roundtable Peace Talk and Media Interactive Session held at the Catholic Pastoral Centre, Mile Six, Jalingo, Taraba State.

The engagement, themed “Promoting Peace, Reconciliation, Unity and Sustainable Conflict Transformation,” brought together religious leaders, traditional rulers, media practitioners, women and youth leaders and other stakeholders to discuss ways of preventing conflict and strengthening peaceful coexistence.

The bishop said peace could not be achieved by Christians, Muslims, government or the media alone, stressing that it was a shared responsibility.

He urged Nigerians to move beyond discussing peace and take practical steps to make peaceful coexistence possible.

Emmanuel said the responsibility of church leaders extended beyond preaching the gospel, urging them to become active peace vanguards by promoting reconciliation, tolerance and unity in their communities.

He also called for stronger Christian-Muslim cooperation, saying religious differences should not become a basis for hatred or violence.

According to him, Christians and Muslims might have different theological beliefs, but they share communities, markets, schools, workplaces and a common country.

He urged both faith communities to protect those bonds and make Jalingo and Taraba examples of peaceful Christian-Muslim coexistence.

The bishop said the United Methodist Church in Nigeria had learned important lessons from its own experience of internal conflict and reconciliation.

He said the Church had experienced serious divisions over the years, resulting in leadership disputes, strained relationships, court cases, factions and divided communities.

He explained that conflict transformation should go beyond simply ending immediate disputes to addressing the underlying causes of conflict, including mistrust, injustice, inequality, exclusion, grievances and damaged relationships.

The bishop said the Church’s experience could serve as a message of hope to Nigeria, arguing that if a divided church could begin to rebuild trust and unity, divided communities could also overcome longstanding differences.

Emmanuel, however, stressed that unity did not mean uniformity, noting that Nigerians could belong to different ethnic groups, political parties and religious traditions while respecting one another.

The bishop particularly urged journalists and media managers to recognise their role in promoting peace, warning that irresponsible reporting and unverified information could worsen tensions and trigger crises.

He called on media practitioners to verify information before publishing it, investigate claims, provide context and avoid inflammatory language that could deepen religious, ethnic or political divisions.

Emmanuel warned against allowing social media to turn newsrooms into “forwarding centres,” urging journalists to cross-check information before amplifying it.

He encouraged journalists to report not only conflicts but also stories of reconciliation, cooperation, community rebuilding and peaceful relations between Christians and Muslims.

According to him, responsible journalism could help identify early warning signs of conflict, expose injustice before it escalated and give communities opportunities to be heard.

Emmanuel also urged religious leaders to ensure that churches and mosques did not become platforms for hatred.

He called for regular meetings between Christian and Muslim leaders and joint peacebuilding initiatives involving young people and women.

The bishop cautioned against collectively blaming Muslims for acts of violence committed by extremists, saying individual criminal acts should not be used to stigmatise entire religious communities.

Emmanuel stressed that sustainable peace must also be built on justice, accountability, good governance, development, education, employment and security.

The bishop also called for greater involvement of traditional rulers in early warning, mediation, dialogue and community reconciliation.

According to him, traditional rulers understand their communities, histories and grievances and can often identify rising tensions before they develop into major conflicts.

Speaking on behalf of traditional rulers, HRH Alh. Abubakar Mamoud Adamu, Kur Jibu Bali, called for collective efforts to promote peaceful coexistence and national unity.

Adamu urged religious leaders to consistently educate their followers on the importance of dialogue and peaceful resolution of disputes whenever misunderstandings arise.

Pastor Dr. Haniel Banti, Kpan Sanwi Chiefdom, Lau Local Government Area, called for an attitudinal change among church leaders, accusing some of contributing to crises within the Church.

Banti urged the Church to reclaim its position as a vanguard of peace by demonstrating tolerance, reconciliation and responsible leadership.

On youth development, Emmanuel said young people should not be viewed merely as a problem to be controlled, but as a generation that should be empowered through education, skills, employment and opportunities.

Rev. Dr. Christie Neal, Domain Facilitator from the United States, charged participants to put into practice the lessons acquired during the five-day Roundtable Peace Talk.

Neal commended Bishop Emmanuel for organising the programme, describing the initiative as timely and relevant to the promotion of peace in society.

The bishop also challenged the United Methodist Church to take the lessons from its reconciliation experience beyond the Church and contribute to peacebuilding efforts across Nigeria.

He urged members of the Church to protect the unity achieved through reconciliation and avoid returning to factionalism, sectionalism and personality-driven divisions.

Emmanuel said the Church’s experience should demonstrate to Nigerians that reconciliation was possible even after prolonged division.

He urged Nigerians to reject the use of religion, ethnicity and politics as weapons of division and instead choose dialogue, reconciliation, justice and unity.

Emmanuel proposed seven commitments for peacebuilding: speaking truth without spreading hatred, verifying information before amplifying it, choosing dialogue before escalation, protecting human dignity, building bridges across religious and social divides, pursuing justice without revenge, and making peacebuilding a way of life.

The bishop called on Nigerians to become “bridge-builders” and work towards a society where religious, ethnic and political differences would not destroy the country’s common humanity.

The event, which marked the conclusion of the five-day peace engagement, featured interactive question-and-answer sessions, while certificates of participation were presented to delegates at the conclusion of the programme.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has charged youths to contribute to Nigeria’s development and imbibe good character to become responsible citizens.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, gave the charge on Sunday at the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement 2026 International Youth Conference at the church’s headquarters in Ijesha, Lagos.

He said that young people must not remain indifferent to the development of the country, but should deploy their talents, creativity and ingenuity positively.

The conference, which began on Friday, has the theme: “Youth That Knows the Lord.

The governor expressed delight to participate in the programme attended by millions of youths, noting that the conviction of knowing the Lord was evident among the participants.

He commended the leadership of the church for organising the conference, which he said was anchored on unity of faith and purpose.

Sanwo-Olu urged the youths to know the Lord, live according to His dictates and allow God’s influence to shape their character.

He described character as the biggest asset a young person could possess, stressing that talent, intelligence, education and connections without good character could become liabilities.

“Lagos is a city of opportunities, a place where young persons turn ideas into businesses. Be creative in your endeavours and impact your world positively.

“The state has many youth empowerment schemes. Bring your ingenuity to bear; the state will support you with platforms to project you.

Also speaking, the church’s General Overseer, Pastor Lazarus Muoka, prayed for the progress of Lagos State and its leadership.

Muoka urged the youths to remain steadfast in faith and purposeful in their contributions to societal development.

The programme featured worship, prayers, divine interventions, restoration, breakthroughs and a thanksgiving service before ending on Sunday.

From Attah Ede, Makurdi

A 200-level Political Science student of Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University (MOAUM), identified as Rose Adikwu, has suffered horrific injuries and is presently battling for her life after her cousin and co-tenant, identified as Agbo Felicia, a 500-level Chemistry student of the same university, allegedly poured boiling water on her following an argument.

Rose is currently receiving medical treatment at a private hospital in Makurdi, with her body covered in bandages from severe burns.

When the Students’ Union President, Akighirga Vitalis, and members of the union executive visited her at the hospital, the visibly traumatised victim narrated how the disagreement with Felicia allegedly escalated into the violent attack.

According to her account, she and Felicia had been living together before disagreements over personal matters began to strain their relationship.

Rose said the disputes eventually became so intense that she asked Felicia to leave the apartment.

She alleged that after Felicia agreed and packed her belongings, she went to a neighbour’s room, where she boiled water and allegedly mixed it with pepper, salt, onions, and seasoning before returning to the apartment.

Rose claimed that Felicia then poured the hot mixture on her before locking the door and leaving.

“She then returned to the apartment and poured the hot mixture on me, locked the door, and left me inside while I cried for help,” Rose alleged.

She said her cries attracted the attention of neighbours, who intervened and allegedly intercepted Felicia as she attempted to leave the area.

The police were subsequently invited, and Felicia was arrested.

Reacting to the development, Akighirga expressed shock over the condition of the student and condemned the alleged attack, describing it as “a grave and unacceptable assault on the life and well-being of a fellow student.”

“We are deeply concerned about this incident. The Students’ Union will follow this matter closely until justice prevails,” he told Rose and her family at the hospital.

He assured the family that the Students’ Union would engage relevant authorities and monitor the investigation, as well as any disciplinary process that may arise within the university.

Vitalis said that if the allegations against Felicia are established through due process, the Students’ Union would support the application of appropriate sanctions under the university’s regulations, including expulsion where warranted.

“The Students’ Union will not condone violence or any conduct capable of endangering the life of another student,” he said.

He appealed to students facing disagreements with roommates, relatives, or fellow students to seek peaceful intervention rather than resort to violence.

“I encourage students experiencing personal disagreements to seek intervention from university authorities, Students’ Union structures, or law enforcement agencies rather than resorting to violence,” he said.

He reaffirmed the union’s commitment to students’ welfare and safety, stressing that disputes should never be allowed to escalate into acts capable of causing serious injury or threatening lives.

A statement signed by the Press Secretary to the Students’ Union President, Mark Tyodoo, and made available to newsmen in Makurdi, said the President was accompanied on the hospital visit by other union executives.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benue State Command, DSP Peter Aondona, confirmed the incident.

He also confirmed that the suspect had been arrested while investigations were ongoing.

The police spokesman said: “Yes, it happened yesterday, Friday, August 28, 2026.

“From the information I have, both students were staying in the same room and had an issue. The suspect allegedly boiled water, added salt and pepper, and poured the mixture on the victim before locking her inside.

“After some time, people became aware of what had happened and were able to intervene and rescue the victim. She was subsequently taken to the hospital for treatment, while the suspect was arrested.

“I don’t have much information yet about the genesis of the disagreement or what led to the incident, but I can confirm that the incident happened. I also understand that both of them are students of Benue State University.”