U.S. condemns killings of pastor’s family members in Nigeria

The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs on Friday said it condemned and mourned the recent deaths of several family members of Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo in Plateau State, Nigeria. They were horrifically killed in a continued wave of violence targeting Christians and other vulnerable communities, the bureau said.

Nine of Dachomo’s family members died in the attacks, he said. The deceased people included several small children, the pastor said in a social media video. Dachomo added that armed herdsmen from the Muslim Fulani ethnic group were responsible for the attacks. The group had sent him a letter threatening his own life as well as those of his family members, he said.

How are Dachomo and U.S. authorities responding to the violence? The pastor said he would not stop his mission work or begin carrying a weapon. However, he sent copies of the threatening letter to government security operatives, alerting them to the situation, he said.

The U.S. African Affairs bureau said its leader, Frank Garcia, pressed Nigerian officials last week to more effectively combat violence and hold perpetrators accountable. The U.S. State Department was committed to helping the Nigerian government do so, the bureau said. Christians and other vulnerable groups needed increased protection, Garcia emphasized.

Dig deeper: Read Philip Holsinger’s story on whether violence in Nigeria is primarily over religion or other factors.