Plateau Pastor Conducts Mass Burial for 12 Slain Miners, Urges Residents to Defend Themselves

|By Chinwendu Nwani

A Plateau-based cleric, Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, on Saturday led another mass burial for victims of a deadly attack in the Ratoso Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The burial followed a violent invasion of the community by suspected terrorists, who reportedly opened fire on miners, killing no fewer than 12 people on the spot.

Residents said several others were still missing after the attack, raising fears that the casualty figure could rise as search efforts continue.

During the burial ceremony, Reverend Dachomo, who was captured in a video that has since gone viral, urged residents to take responsibility for their own safety whenever they come under attack.

“You have to defend yourself. We all have the right to survive. Do what you can do, and God is going to help us,” the cleric told grieving community members.

Dachomo recently gained national attention after alleging that Nigerian Christians are facing genocide. Although his claims have drawn strong pushback from the Presidency and other stakeholders, the pastor has continued to insist that Christians are being persecuted by Islamic extremists, whom he claims are determined to wipe them out.

The latest attack adds to a growing list of violent incidents in Plateau State, where repeated assaults on rural communities have left scores dead, displaced residents, and deepened calls for improved security and justice for victims.