Reverend Ezekiel Bwede Dachomo, regional chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Plateau State, has reiterated calls for Christian youths to arm themselves for self-defense amid relentless violence in Barkin Ladi and surrounding areas. On December 9, 2025, Dachomo stated that the church has instructed village youths to rise up, citing government and military failures to protect communities from suspected Fulani militants responsible for mass killings and massacres. He emphasized reliance on divine strength over futile appeals to unresponsive authorities.
Dachomo's stance stems from ongoing crises, including October 2025 mass graves of church members in Rachas and Rawuru villages, where he publicly decried a "genocide" against Christians and faced army rebukes for "propaganda." Despite death threats, military pledges of protection, and backlash from Muslim groups accusing him of inciting reprisals, the cleric remains defiant, warning that without self-defense, Christian presence in Plateau could vanish.
This escalation highlights deepening distrust in security forces, with Dachomo's videos and pleas including to President Trump fueling debates on vigilante risks versus survival imperatives in Nigeria's volatile Middle Belt.