Plateau Christian Groups Allege Genocide, Call for International Intervention

By Timescope news Correspondent 

JOS, Nigeria—The Plateau State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and a coalition of indigenous youth groups have accused armed militants of conducting a systematic genocide against Christian communities in Nigeria's North and Middle Belt regions.

At a joint press conference in Jos on Tuesday, the groups presented what they described as extensive evidence of a coordinated campaign to uproot Christians from their ancestral lands. Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, Chairman of the Ropp Regional Church Council of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), delivered the statement.

“This is not mere conflict; it is targeted extermination and religious cleansing,” Rev. Dachomo stated, rejecting the common framing of the violence as farmer-herder clashes. He cited attacks on churches, the abduction of women and children—noting the continued captivity of Leah Sharibu—and the killing of clergy as evidence of a religious dimension.

The coalition provided journalists with documentation including community records, lists of victims, photographs, and official reports detailing years of killings, village destruction, and mass displacement. Rev. Dachomo claimed that over 1,300 Christians were killed in Plateau State between December 2023 and February 2024 alone, with attacks persisting, including the recent killing of 12 individuals in Barkin Ladi.

The groups leveled strong criticism at the Nigerian government, alleging security failures, delayed responses to attacks, and a judicial system that penalizes victims for self-defense. They pointed to the recent pardon of Christian farmer Sunday Jackson in Adamawa State as highlighting, in their view, systemic injustice.

Linking the violence to broader issues like land use and the implementation of Sharia law in some northern states, the coalition called for urgent international action. Their demands include official recognition of the alleged genocide, security restructuring, prosecution of perpetrators, the return of occupied lands, and the establishment of an international tribunal.

“Our demand is not revenge,” Rev. Dachomo concluded. “It is justice, protection, and the right to live and worship in peace.”

The Nigerian government has repeatedly stated it is addressing nationwide insecurity, often describing the violence as complex and rooted in multiple factors. At the time of publication, there was no immediate official response to the specific allegations raised at the Jos press conference.