By Esther Onyegbula

Amid rising insecurity and ethnic tension across the country, the National Alliance for Peace, NAP, has announced plans to inaugurate a Lagos Peace Committee in March as part of efforts to restore peace and strengthen collaboration between communities and security agencies in the state.

President of NAP, Nze Dr. Okolie Amaechi Sadiq, disclosed this at a press conference organised by the Lagos Peace Committee, a department of the National Alliance for Peace, in Lagos.

The event, which drew community leaders, security stakeholders, traditional rulers and representatives of various ethnic groups, began with a minute’s silence in honour of Nigerians who lost their lives to bandits and other criminal elements across the country.

Sadiq said the alliance, having obtained a mandate to work with critical stakeholders nationwide, chose Lagos as the starting point for its consultation visits aimed at promoting peace and security.

According to him, the primary objective is to sensitise residents on their responsibilities in maintaining a peaceful and secure environment.
“Inasmuch as we are all Nigerians, the law states the limits of our behaviours so that we do not infringe on the rights of other citizens, whether residents or hosts. Every resident must respect the laws and traditions of the host community, and the hosts must also respect the rights of their guests,” he said.
He added that these issues would be discussed extensively at a forthcoming town hall meeting where residents, youths and community leaders would have the opportunity to express their views on peculiar security and social challenges confronting the state.

Sadiq stressed the need for vigilance at the grassroots level, urging community leaders to monitor new entrants into their areas and report suspicious movements to security agencies.

“Every community leader must have knowledge of new entrants into the community. The Obas and security agencies must be alerted about any dubious characters. There must be synergy between security agencies and the community to provide an atmosphere of peace,” he said.
While commending security agencies for maintaining law and order despite limited resources, he also appreciated Igbo and Arewa leaders in Lagos for supporting the initiative, singling out High Chief Anosike, Chairman of the Lagos Peace Committee, and Alhaji Ahmed, Overall Leader of the Arewa community in Alimoso Local Government Area.
Sadiq disclosed that the peace committee to be inaugurated in March would comprise leaders from all local government areas in the state and would meet monthly, physically or virtually, to monitor developments and address emerging crises before they escalate.

“If there is any problem from anywhere, the committee will meet, discuss and notify the Lagos State Government on what is happening and how it can be handled without degenerating into crisis,” he said.

He further revealed that NAP is developing a comprehensive peace project expected to attract partnerships from the Lagos State Government.
“By March, we are going to have a comprehensive project that the Lagos State Government will partner with. When implemented, issues among traders, individuals and communities in Lagos will be properly channelled and addressed before they become major crises,” he added.

On ethnic bigotry, Sadiq described it as one of the major threats to national unity, insisting that patriotism must take precedence over tribal sentiments.
“First of all is patriotism. Anyone who tells you that his tribe is being marginalised without offering solutions on how we can stay united is not helping the country. The only person we will listen to is one who gives options on how we can live together as one,” he said.

The NAP president disclosed that a team of researchers, including professors and some state Attorneys-General, are working on policy frameworks to provide sustainable solutions to security and social tensions across states.
He expressed optimism that with sustained engagement and structured interventions, national tension could significantly reduce between 2027 and 2028.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Coordinator of NAP, Prince Rotimi Shogunle, said the interactive forums being planned between government and the people would help de-escalate crises.
“When we begin to have interactive forums between the government and the people, these crises are sure to go down,” he said.

Shogunle added that the alliance is recruiting youths across communities to promote patriotism and deepen grassroots participation in peacebuilding efforts.
“The number one thing we are going to work on is our youths. We want to build in them the spirit of patriotism and make them think Nigeria first,” he said.

The alliance said similar structures would be replicated in other states, with strategies tailored to address peculiar challenges in each location as part of a nationwide roadmap for sustainable peace.