JOS: A regional leader of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Evangelist Ezekiel Dachomo, has raised concerns over what he described as the ongoing persecution of Christians in Plateau State, alleging that his life is under serious threat following a viral video he made showing a mass burial of victims in Heipang community near Jos.
In an interview with our reporter, Dachomo said the video was intended to document the suffering of Christians and provide historical evidence of what he called a continuing genocide in parts of Northern Nigeria.
I made the video for record-keeping so that future generations will know how we were terrorized and persecuted.
It’s also evidence that Christian genocide is happening in the North, he said.
The cleric explained that the attack that led to the mass burial occurred last Thursday when suspected Fulani herdsmen invaded Heipang, killing 11 residents, including children.
According to him, the attackers also abducted the wife of a local reverend and two female church members in a subsequent assault on a hospital.
Children were butchered without conscience, yet the government continues to deny there’s a Christian genocide, he said.
We now resort to self-defense; otherwise, the name of Jesus may no longer be mentioned in our land.
Dachomo alleged that while Christian communities continue to suffer repeated assaults, security agencies often fail to respond promptly or prosecute attackers.
If Christians were the ones attacking Muslims, the entire military would invade our villages. But when we’re attacked, they look away, he added.
The cleric accused authorities of ignoring years of violent attacks across Plateau communities such as Riyom, Daruwa, Maiyanga, Barkin Ladi, Tenti, and Bokkos, where hundreds have reportedly been killed.
He lamented that many residents have fled to the South-South for safety, leaving behind deserted villages and untended farmlands.
If the government had acknowledged and acted, these killings would have stopped. Instead, they protect the perpetrators,” Dachomo claimed. “A Christian who defended himself was even sentenced to death. Does this mean the country has been handed over to Islam?
Speaking on personal threats, Evangelist Dachomo said he has survived multiple assassination attempts and continues to receive death threats through phone calls and social media messages.
My life is in grave danger. I no longer sleep with my eyes closed. Even during mass burials, they threatened to kill me. But I’m not afraid—I’ll continue to speak the truth,” he said.
He accused the military of issuing statements against him instead of protecting communities from attacks.
When suspects are arrested, they’re released and come back to kill more people. It’s better to be in police custody than to keep burying our people, he added
The evangelist described the attacks as relentless, noting that communities live in constant fear.
Sometimes, I get calls in the middle of the night that another village is under attack. We only pray to survive each night, he said.
He also claimed that mercenaries from neighbouring countries such as Niger, Chad, and Burkina Faso were brought into the country as far back as 2001 and have continued to terrorize local communities.
