Security concerns in Jos, Plateau State has forced Prince Charles to cancel his planned trip to the state following months of deadly clashes between nomadic herders and farmers in the restive region.
Reports says the Prince Charles and his second wife, Camilla, arrived in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Tuesday, on the tail end of a West African tour that has included Gambia and Ghana.
They were expected to travel to Jos on Thursday, the last day of their stay, to discuss peace-building and conflict resolution.
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“Due to operational constraints beyond our control, we have decided at this time not to include Jos during their royal highnesses’ visit to Nigeria.
“We are delighted to have an exciting programme of activity in Abuja and Lagos which will showcase those issues close to the Prince’s and the Duchess’s hearts.
“The decision was taken upon advice from the Nigerian government and others involved in security and operational aspects of the visit,” said a British foreign office spokeswoman on Monday.
Jos, the Plateau state capital of about one million people, is nestled in the hills of central Nigeria and has frequently been the scene of violence.
Plateau state lies in Nigeria’s so-called Middle Belt that separates the predominantly Muslim north from the largely Christian south.
It has long been a hotbed of ethnic, sectarian and religious tensions that flare up during election season.
Earlier, President Muhammadu Buhari hosted Prince Charles and Camilla at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
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The couple were received at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammed Bello.
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are on a 3-day official visit to Nigeria during which the 69-year-old heir to the British throne would engage in peace-building activities, including addressing the persistent attacks of herdsmen on farming communities in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Prince on Tuesday met with notable traditional rulers in Nigeria in Abuja on the first of his three-day visit to the country.
Some of the monarchs at the meeting held at the the residence of the British High Commissioner in Abuja are: Ooni of Ife Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, Sultan of Sokoto Saad Abubakar, Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi 11, Obi of Onitsha Igwe Achebe, the Etsu Nupe Alhaji Yayaya Abubakar, Oba of Benin Ewuare 11 and Shehu of Borno Abubakar ibn El Kanemi.
Accompanied by his wife Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles will also hold talks with some youths, the business community, the Armed Forces, and people from the arts and fashion sectors.
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Prince Charles, 69, will also engage in peace-building activities, including addressing the persistent attacks of herdsmen on farming communities in Nigeria.
He is also expected to discuss practical solutions to alleviating the tensions, arising from the activities of herdsmen.
Prince Charles has made three previous official visits to Nigeria in 1990, 1999 and 2006. This, however, is the first visit of the Duchess to the country.
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