JOS, NIGERIA — In an emotionally charged and defiant broadcast, the Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, has declared that his community has resorted to absolute self-defense, daring the federal government to arrest him.
The outspoken cleric’s ultimatum comes in the wake of a brutal attack by suspected armed herdsmen that claimed the lives of nine of his family members, followed by a chilling, handwritten threat letter warning that he would be assassinated in the same gruesome manner as his late brother.
“Self-Defense is a Must”: The Pastor Dares the State
Reverend Dachomo, who has gained global attention for documenting the systemic slaughter of rural Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, expressed utter disillusionment with the nation’s security architecture.
Reacting to the dual tragedy of his family’s massacre and the direct threat to his life, Dachomo directed his message squarely at President Bola Tinubu:
“Tinubu, I’m waiting for my arrest. Self-defense is a must, and we are prepared. Enough is enough.”
The cleric’s defiance stems from deep-seated frustration with the Nigerian military and police forces. Over the years, Dachomo has accused state security agencies of selective blindness—alleging that while the military is quick to arrest local victims who pick up arms to defend their ancestral lands, they routinely fail to arrest the heavily armed herdsmen invading agricultural communities.
A Pattern of Terror and a Fatal Family Toll
The threat against Reverend Dachomo is the latest escalation in a long-running campaign to silence him.
- The Massacres: In late 2025 and early 2026, coordinated attacks by suspected Fulani militants ravaged villages across Barkin Ladi LGA. Dachomo has personally conducted over 70 mass burials, on some nights interring hundreds of victims in single mass graves.
- The Personal Loss: The violence hit home brutally when nine members of the Reverend’s immediate and extended family were slaughtered during an invasion.
- The Threat Letter: Following the burials, a physical threat letter was delivered to the cleric. It explicitly warned that he had been marked for death and would be hunted down and executed just like his brother, who was previously killed by militants.
The Fight Over the “Genocide” Narrative
The conflict between Dachomo and the federal government is not just physical; it is highly political.
REVEREND DACHOMO'S STANCE FEDERAL GOVT / MILITARY STANCE
┌───────────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ • Accuses gov of hiding │ │ • Denies targeted religious │
│ Christian "genocide". │ VS. │ "genocide" occurs. │
│ • Calls on UN & US │ │ • Accuses Dachomo of │
│ for intervention. │ │ inciting communal hate. │
└───────────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────────────┘
Dachomo’s viral videos showing mass graves have drawn international scrutiny, prompting debates on religious persecution in the U.S. Congress. In response, the Nigerian Army previously issued statements accusing the pastor of “inciting the public” and spreading panic.
“No Ransom, Let My Blood Raise War”
Refusing multiple asylum offers from countries including Australia and Austria, the cleric insists he will not abandon his congregation. He has also issued a strict warning to his family and church members regarding his security:
“I already told my family and my members that if they kidnap me, nobody should contribute one kobo for ransom. My grave will speak, and my blood will raise a war that will lead to our people’s liberation.”
As tensions reach a boiling point in Plateau State, Dachomo’s open call for self-defense underscores the complete breakdown of trust between Middle Belt communities and the federal government. With the cleric openly refusing to back down, the security agencies are faced with a delicate dilemma: arrest an aggrieved, grieving religious leader and risk a regional uprising, or continue to ignore the armed actors terrorizing the state’s rural heartlands.
