US Condemns Killing Of Nigerian Pastor’s Family As Pressure Mounts Over Christian Persecution (Worthy News In-Depth)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

ABUJA (Worthy News) – The United States has condemned the “horrific killing” of nine relatives of Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, a Nigerian pastor whose earlier appeal warned that “fear has become a way of life” in Nigeria’s violence-plagued Plateau State.

“The continued violence targeting Christian communities and other vulnerable populations in Nigeria’s Middle Belt is deeply alarming,” the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs said in a statement monitored by Worthy News on Sunday.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families and all those affected,” the bureau added after Islamist militants reportedly killed members of Reverend Dachomo’s extended family in Plateau State.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia referred to discussions with Nigerian officials last week, saying: “We must do more to prevent violent acts like those yesterday,” while stressing that those responsible “must be held accountable.”

U.S. DEMANDS ACTION

“The perpetrators must be held accountable, and urgent action is needed to strengthen security and protect Christians and other vulnerable communities,” the State Department said.

It added that the United States remains committed to working with the Nigerian government “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 renewed international attention followed a video appeal by Reverend Dachomo urging U.S. intervention that U.S. President Donald J. Trump reposted.

In a prayer request issued before the killings, Reverend Dachomo described ministering in villages where “fear has become a way of life,” comforting widows whose husbands had been killed for their Christian faith and praying with children left orphaned by repeated attacks.

He said his ministry team continued traveling despite hearing gunfire at night and knowing they themselves might never return home.

MIDDLE BELT ATTACKS

The July 11 attack on Reverend Dachomo’s family struck a remote village south of Jos, the capital of Plateau State. Several additional attacks were later reported in Plateau and neighboring Benue State, including one that killed four people in an area previously regarded as relatively safe.

The deaths were first reported by Truth Nigeria, an independent investigative news outlet focusing on terrorism, religious freedom, and insecurity in Nigeria.

Former Plateau State House of Assembly Speaker Gabriel Dewan told mourners at a mass funeral that unidentified helicopters had reportedly been seen landing in remote forest areas before the attacks.

He urged Nigerian security forces to investigate whether weapons were being supplied to terrorist groups and called for those responsible to be arrested and prosecuted.

The killings have also renewed concern in the U.S. Congress over the deteriorating security situation.

CONGRESS RAISES CONCERNS

During a February 4 hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Representative Chris Smith, a Republican from New Jersey and the panel’s chairman, said Christians remained the primary targets of Islamist extremists, while Muslims who opposed the violence also faced danger.

He cited the activities of Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and armed Fulani militants, saying stronger action was urgently needed.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told lawmakers that Nigeria had increased cooperation with Washington on counterterrorism efforts but acknowledged that more remained to be done.

“They’re cooperating with us more than they were on counterterrorism… They still have some work to do, frankly, in terms of the Sharia law that is in place in many of these local provinces,” Waltz said.

He added: “Churches are being burned, pastors are being executed, people are being arrested literally for just wearing a cross around their neck.”

WORLD WATCH LIST

Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, also renewed his criticism of Nigeria’s handling of the crisis, saying he was pursuing legislation that would sanction officials he believes failed to protect Christians and other religious minorities.

Nigeria is consistently ranked among the world’s most dangerous countries for Christians. In the 2026 edition of the Open Doors World Watch List, Nigeria ranks seventh worldwide among the countries where Christians face the most severe persecution.

Open Doors says more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in any other country, with much of the violence attributed to Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and heavily armed Fulani militants operating mainly in the country’s Middle Belt.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with about 230 million people, is almost evenly divided between Muslims and Christians. Muslims form the majority in the north, where 12 states enforce Sharia law, while Christians predominate in the south.

The Middle Belt, where both communities live side by side, has become the epicenter of repeated attacks that have claimed thousands of lives in recent years.

The latest killings are expected to increase international pressure on Nigerian authorities to improve security, bring those responsible to justice, and better protect Christians and other vulnerable communities from further attacks.

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