Franklin Graham Voices Support for Nigerian Pastor Facing Death Threats After Militia Kills Nine Family Members

A Nigerian religious leader whose family was targeted by armed militia now faces direct threats to his own life, according to statements posted this week. Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, regional leader of the Church of Christ in Nations in Nigeria's Middle Belt, reported that nine extended family members were killed in a July attack, with a two-month-old baby among those murdered. The same militia has since sent threatening letters to Dachomo and church members, pledging further violence.

The Attack and Its Victims

On July 12, gunmen surrounded a family compound in the Riyom district of Plateau State and opened fire indiscriminately. Witnesses reported that attackers explicitly asked for Dachomo upon arrival, stating they intended to teach the family "a hard lesson" before the assault. The victims included multiple generations—parents, adult children, spouses, and a three-month-old infant. One family member survived but sustained life-threatening injuries requiring hospitalization.

Dachomo, an outspoken critic of killings perpetrated by members of the Fulani militia, has become a prominent voice documenting Christian casualties in the region. In a recent statement on social media, he described receiving a threatening letter from the militia vowing to attack and kill him, mirroring the tactics used against his family. He questioned the justification for such violence, asking: "What is my crime? Is my crime that I tell the stories of persecuted Christians in Nigeria, so the world will not forget them?"

International Response and Pattern of Violence

The U.S. State Department has formally condemned the incidents, describing the scale of violence against Christians in Nigeria to media outlets as "shocking." Religious advocacy organizations and government officials have called on the Nigerian government to increase protective measures and accountability for perpetrators. The attack on Dachomo's family is not an isolated incident—youth leaders in the affected communities report witnessing more than five families completely wiped out in similar attacks over the past fifteen years, with vulnerable households targeted for their inability to resist armed assailants.