The United States has denounced the killing of nine relatives of Nigerian pastor Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, who previously warned that “fear has become a way of life” for communities across the country’s Middle Belt.
Frank Garcia, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for African Affairs, discussed the attack with Nigerian officials last week and urged stronger measures to prevent similar violence, according to the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs.
Garcia described the ongoing attacks against Christian communities and other vulnerable groups in the region as “deeply alarming,” while the agency called for immediate security improvements and accountability for those responsible.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families and all those affected. As I discussed last week with Nigerian officials, we must do more to prevent violent acts like those yesterday,” the statement reads.
“The perpetrators must be held accountable, and urgent action is needed to strengthen security and protect Christians and other vulnerable communities. The United States remains committed to working with the Nigerian government and our partners to combat terrorism, counter violent extremism, and ensure that Christians and all Nigerians can live and practice their faith freely without fear of violence or persecution.”
The killings drew renewed international attention after President Donald Trump reposted a video in which Dachomo appealed for U.S. intervention.
In a prayer request posted Thursday, Dachomo described entering villages overwhelmed by fear, consoling widows whose husbands had been killed for their faith and praying with children who had suddenly been orphaned. He wrote that his ministry team continued traveling despite knowing they might not return and hearing gunfire at night because the love of Christ compelled them.
Radical Islamist groups killed dozens of people in northern Nigeria during July, including nine members of Dachomo’s extended family, according to Truth Nigeria, which first reported the deaths.
The July 11 assault targeted a remote village south of Jos, the capital of Plateau state. Additional attacks were later reported in Plateau and Benue states.
One of those attacks killed four people about 56 miles southeast of Jos in an area residents had previously considered safe because it had not experienced similar violence.
Gabriel Dewan, a former speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, told mourners at a mass funeral this week that the killings followed reports of unidentified helicopters landing in forests around Fier district in the Takkas area of Pankshin Local Government Area, according to Truth Nigeria.
Dewan said helicopter landings in isolated areas of Nigeria’s northeast and northwest have often been associated with weapons reaching terrorists. He urged police and military forces to clear the affected areas, arrest and prosecute those responsible and expand U.S. involvement to the Middle Belt states.
