Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo: The Man Facing Down Genocide in Nigeria

The video is stark – rows of dead bodies laid out on the ground; grief etched onto every mourner’s face. Then a pastor breaks the silence with words no minister should ever have to say: “I am tired of burying my members every day.” In that moment, the horror facing Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt becomes impossible to ignore – and so does the cost of looking away.

Nigerian Christian communities – specifically in the Middle Belt – are under relentless attack from Islamic extremists such as the Fulani and Boko Haram militias – leaving villages destroyed, families slaughtered, and hundreds of thousands displaced. These crimes are underreported, and authorities often fail to act; and in Nigeria, even bearing a Christian name can be a death sentence. It demands our attention.

Take action with the ACLJ – sign the petition: Stop the Genocide of Christians in Nigeria.

In the face of this treachery stands Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, a vocal pastor with the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) and a regional church leader in the Plateau State. His profound bravery in speaking out against these atrocities, even amid threats to his own life, has brought attention to a crisis that too many continue to ignore.

Reverend Dachomo was seen on social media worldwide after his passionate pleas from the mass burial went viral: “I am tired of burying my members every day.” Dachomo didn’t hold back, his emotions raw: “[The] Nigerian government came out openly, and denied, ‘There’s no massacre, there’s no genocide of Christian[s] in Nigeria’ . . . and look at it today. Is there any Muslims here? . . . Please tell Trump to save our [lives] in Nigeria.” His implication is clear – the primary target of the violence is Christians, targeted for no other reason than their faith.

The reality on the ground seems to confirm this: Christians are disproportionately affected by the violence, with estimates suggesting that more than 125,000 Christians have been slaughtered in Nigeria since 2010. The radical Islamic violence against Christians cannot be ignored.

Reverend Dachomo has called for global awareness. His bold declaration – “If they kidnap me, nobody should bring even one kobo [a Nigerian unit of currency]. My grave will speak. My blood will raise war” – has helped draw international attention, appearing in millions of social media feeds and on outlets such as CBN and Piers Morgan.

And make no mistake, Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo is paying a heavy price because of his outspoken criticism of the violence and the government’s lack of response. He has publicly acknowledged that his life is in “grave danger” and is marked for assassination. Bringing a microscopic focus to the genocide against Christian communities has made him target number one. According to reports from Morningstar News, Dachomo has received death threats through phone calls, text messages, and social media, including explicit threats to kill him even while he conducts mass burials – of which he has done 70.

His cries and sacrifices are not in vain, and maybe they did reach the halls of the White House and help influence President Trump to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its systematic persecution.

There’s little doubt – Reverend Dachomo is the man for this moment. Pray for his safety and for his ability to continue inspiring and advocating for Christians in Nigeria.

The ACLJ has been advocating for Christians in Nigeria for 15 years, but we are expanding our efforts in Washington, D.C., and at the U.N. This year we began engaging in weekly meetings with conservative leaders in D.C. to confront the evil that is spreading and continue to ramp up the pressure on the Nigerian government and world leaders. These meetings resulted in a tremendous summit that the ACLJ co-sponsored alongside CPAC.

The summit aimed to raise awareness of persecution in countries such as Nigeria and China and to develop policy solutions to defend religious freedom. Speakers included legislators (headlined by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson), legal and policy experts, and advocacy leaders focused on mobilizing support and practical strategies to protect persecuted Christians and reinforce religious liberty as a core human rights issue.

ACLJ Executive Director Jordan Sekulow also met at the White House and urged President Trump to place Nigeria back on the CPC list – which he did within days. We look forward to continuing to make real gains for persecuted Christians through these efforts.

Join us in taking action. Sign the petition: Stop the Genocide of Christians in Nigeria.