Outspoken Plateau State cleric, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, has alleged that due to the designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” by the United States President, Donald Trump, some politicians have imported Fulani terrorists into the state to kill as many Christians as possible.
Dachomo, regional president of the Church of Christ in Nations, COCIN, in Barkin Ladi local government area of the state, raised the alarm in a video message he posted on social media on Wednesday.
In the video, he said he has inside information that so far, thousands of terrorist groups, particularly Fulani ethnic militias from Bauchi State and elsewhere, have already set up camps along the state borders and have gradually advanced towards the communities through a series of violent attacks and land grab campaigns.
He claimed that terrorists and their sponsors have heard what President Donald Trump said about sending US forces to Nigeria and are now making sure to kill as many people as possible in the state before the arrival of US soldiers.
“They have already declared war on Plateau State. As I speak to you, yesterday we buried a body in the night and they killed two people again,” he said in the video.
Continuing, he said: “This morning, I tell you, come and see the Fulani terrorists invited from Bauchi and other places being transported to Plateau. I was able to get a report from an insider and what the man told me has turned out to be the truth.
“This morning, as I speak to you, you are flocking into Dorowa, a community that shares borders with parts of Bauchi State, especially the Fulani-dominated areas of Bauchi.
“They are flocking into Dorowa in their thousands. They are currently camping behind Dorowa village in Nyarwei village in Faan district. Now what do they want us to do? We are going to defend ourselves to the death.
“So I’m making this video to tell the whole world, please pray for us Christians. Your prayer is more than AK-47s, it’s more than rocket launchers. It will destroy and destabilize even the coven in the dark world and that’s what I’m doing in the office right now.”
This is not the first time that Rev. Dachomo has warned about terrorist incursions in the state. Sometime in October, he had raised the alarm about possible Fulani terrorist attacks in the Dorowa area of Barkin Ladi.
In a video that went viral, he alleged that an inside source had revealed to him that Fulani terrorists were entering the state through Nyerwai and were going to attack some communities simultaneously.
But the alert was discredited by security forces who labeled him a liar and alarmist who deliberately used divisive and emotionally charged narratives to stoke ethnic-religious sentiments and curry favor with the local population.
Military authorities, in a statement issued at the time, said: “The reverend’s allegations extend to claims that a Fulani leader influenced security forces to protect Fulani suspects from arrest. He also criticizes Christian authorities for their alleged inaction, suggesting a link to ISWAP.
“Dachomo’s statements culminate in a call to arms for local youth to defend themselves and a request for prayer, painting a dire picture of the security situation in the region.
“Consequently, the viral video of Reverend Dachomo alleging mobilization of Fulani terrorists through Nyerwai in Barkin Ladi LGA and accusing security agencies of collusion is a clear case of propaganda aimed at inflaming public sentiment and eroding confidence in security agencies.
“Reverend Dachomo’s allegation is baseless and is aimed at causing unnecessary tensions. JTF OPEC condemns the misleading narratives and hereby warns the propagator to desist from causing panic and discord among the people of the peace-loving state and refrain from such acts or face the full wrath of the law.”
But despite the denials, Dachomo’s warning turned out to be true as on the same night he raised the alarm, three communities in Barkin Ladi were attacked simultaneously and more than 17 people were killed.