The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Edo Command, has urged residents to embrace dialogue, avoid violence, and promote peaceful coexistence in line with the 2025 International Day of Peace.
Mr Gbenga Agun, State Commandant of the NSCDC, made the call on Monday in Benin shortly after personnel of the command staged a peace march. The event, organised by the Peace and Conflict Resolution Unit, brought together officers, civil society groups, and peace advocates under the United Nations theme: “Act Now for a Peaceful World.”
Agun stressed that the corps’ responsibilities go beyond enforcement to include civility and the protection of human rights.
“We enforce minimum force. We are civil in our actions. In Edo, we try as much as we can to avoid violence, because when there is peace, there will be development,” he said.
Mr Uchegbu Evaristus, Head of the Peace and Conflict Resolution Unit, highlighted practical approaches to settling disputes before escalation. He noted that arbitration, mediation, and negotiation remained the best options, warning that even minor disagreements could undermine peace if ignored.
Delivering the keynote lecture, Patience Agbonifo, a Superintendent of Corps, underscored that peace was a shared responsibility.
“Peace enhances health and well-being. It reduces stress, anxiety, and trauma. It also facilitates development. Rather than spending money repairing the damage caused by war and violence, such funds should go into building infrastructure,” she said.
Agbonifo listed principles of peace to include compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, and prayer, stressing that peace was never optional.
In her remarks, Mrs Maria Okoh, Deputy Coordinator of Partners for Peace (P4P) in Edo, pledged stronger collaboration with the NSCDC to tackle emerging crises.
“Whatever you hear today, take it back to your homes, offices, and business places. We have come to speak peace today,” she urged.
(NAN)