By Bavoriat Clara
As part of efforts to promote harmony among diverse ethnic communities and sustain stability across regions Operation ENDURING PEACE has launched a comprehensive agricultural intervention alongside a security stakeholders’ engagement aimed at ensuring a peaceful and productive 2026 farming season in Southern Kaduna.
In a statement issued by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, said the initiative, which underscores a blend of security operations and economic support, was a commitment to bridging the gap between security enforcement and economic empowerment, noting that such synergy is critical to long-term peace.
Speaking during the stakeholders’ meeting held on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, the General Officer Commanding 3 Division Nigerian Army and Commander of Operation ENDURING PEACE, Major General Folusho Oyinlola, emphasized the importance of collaboration in consolidating security gains. Represented by the Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Mohammed Senlong Sule, the GOC addressed participants including traditional rulers, religious leaders, and youth representatives from Jama’a, Kaura, Kauru, Zango Kataf, and Jaba Local Government Areas.
Major General Oyinlola noted that peaceful coexistence and mutual tolerance are vital for agricultural productivity, warning that insecurity remains a major threat to successful harvests. While acknowledging the relative calm currently experienced in Southern Kaduna, he cautioned against emerging threats such as illegal arms production and the influx of cattle into farming communities, which often lead to crop destruction and retaliatory violence.
To mitigate these challenges, the military advocated for improved relations between farmers and herders, stressing the need to protect national food security and social cohesion.
As part of its non-kinetic interventions approved by the Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede, the operation distributed over 760 bags of fertilizer to selected farmers across five local government areas. The initiative is expected to boost agricultural output while reinforcing trust between the military and civilian population.
In his remarks, the Commander of Sector 7, Operation ENDURING PEACE, Colonel Dele Fapohunda, urged stakeholders to adopt dialogue and community-based conflict resolution mechanisms rather than hostility. He reiterated the neutrality of security agencies and called on residents to provide timely and credible information to aid security operations.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Jama’a Local Government Area, Honourable Peter Tanko Dogara, advocated for sustained engagement between farmers and herders. He pledged to facilitate regular dialogue with traditional leaders to ensure a crisis-free planting season.
The meeting concluded with stakeholders agreeing on the need for a community-driven code of conduct to guide interactions among socio-economic groups, with the goal of achieving a peaceful and productive 2026 wet season farming cycle in Southern Kaduna.
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