|By Chinwendu Nwani
A Muslim group under the banner of United Plateau Muslims (UPM) has dismissed claims of “Christian genocide” repeatedly made by Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, accusing the cleric of deliberately fueling religious tension and inciting hatred against Muslims in Plateau State.
Reacting to Rev. Dachomo’s interview on News Central TV on Tuesday, the group said his narrative unfairly portrays Muslims as aggressors while ignoring documented cases where Christian militias allegedly targeted Muslims.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and jointly signed by its Coordinator, Alhaji Jafaar Abbas, and Secretary General, Salisu Adamu, the UPM alleged that the firebrand cleric was pursuing a divisive agenda aimed at “demonizing Muslims and Fulani communities” to attract international sympathy and donor funding.
“We have watched with restrained consternation the daily demonization of Muslims, Hausas, and Fulanis by Rev. Dachomo. Every other day, he accuses Muslims and Fulanis of killing Christians just to whip up unnecessary sentiments and hatred,” the group said.
The group maintained that violence in Plateau State has not been one-sided, insisting that Christian militias—particularly from the Berom ethnic group—have also carried out deadly attacks on Muslim communities.
It cited several incidents, including the 2001 Jos riots in Dilimi where over 290 Muslims were reportedly killed; the 2004 Yelwa massacre with about 700 Muslim casualties; and the 2008 post-election violence in Jos North that claimed over 700 Muslim lives. The group also referenced more recent attacks, such as the 2021 Rukuba Road ambush in Jos North and the 2023 Mangu killings, where dozens of Muslims were reportedly killed by Christian youths.
“Rev. Dachomo challenges Muslims to show evidence that our people have been killed. We have well-documented records of such killings and will release them when he presents his own to the ICC,” UPM stated.
The group questioned why the cleric ignored attacks on Muslims while focusing solely on Christian victims, warning that its silence should not be mistaken for weakness.
“Our patience should not be taken for granted by Rev. Dachomo and his enablers,” the statement concluded.
