A Plateau-based cleric, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, has threatened to drag the Federal Government before the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged killings of Christians in northern Nigeria.
Dachomo, regional leader of the Church of Christ in Nations, said he is documenting the alleged mass killings for a report to be submitted to the U.S. government and the international community.
He accused the government and the Christian Association of Nigeria of ignoring the attacks, saying their denial had worsened the crisis and emboldened perpetrators.
He added that over ₦7 million has been donated to support victims’ families and that he has been visiting affected communities in Plateau, Benue, and other northern states to gather testimonies and identify mass graves.
“The world needs to know that what we are saying is not false. I will go to any length to prove that this government is lying. We are also planning to take Nigeria before the International Criminal Court and sue the Miyetti Allah association for their role in these atrocities,” the cleric said.
He said hundreds have been killed in undocumented attacks on Plateau villages, with many victims still unaccounted for. He cited Dogo Nahawa, where over 500 were allegedly killed in one night, and his own village, where 23 people — including his best friend’s family — were burnt alive.
“Since the Federal Government claimed there was no genocide, that statement has pushed me to intensify this work. CAN is also denying the genocide, so I’m determined to prove them wrong.
“Right now, I’m travelling around to document cases of Christian genocide because many of the affected villages were never recorded, even though there are graves. I have been moving from one grave site to another.
“I intend to cover all areas where Christians have been attacked. In my own village, 23 people were killed in one night. My best friend’s wife and five children were burnt alive. Just last week, seven people were killed in Jaruwa.”
The PUNCH