Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to use his influence to press the Nigerian government to better protect Christians after reports of targeted killings and threats in the country’s Middle Belt.
Graham made the appeal in a social media post urging prayer for persecuted believers and asking Mr. Trump to “put pressure on the Muslim president of Nigeria to protect innocent Christians who are being butchered by radical followers of Islam,” quoting a Fox News report on the situation.
The Fox News story cited Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, regional chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) for Barkin Ladi Local Government Area in Plateau State, who said nine members of his family were killed and that he has received death threats from suspected Fulani militia members. Dachomo has been an outspoken critic of attacks on Christians in the region, the report said.
In a public statement carried by SaharaReporters and quoted by Fox News, Rev. Dachomo said he received threatening letters in both Hausa and English that pledged further attacks and vowed to kill him. He said copies of the letters had been submitted to security operatives. “Many people have asked me if I am afraid. My answer is no. I am not afraid because my life is in the hands of Almighty God,” Dachomo said, invoking Psalm 118:6 and John 15:20.
The Fox News account also said the U.S. State Department and a leading American Christian nonprofit have urged Nigerian authorities to step up efforts to halt attacks on Christian communities. According to the Fox report, the State Department described the situation as “a shocking level of violence against Christians” and called for stronger protective measures.
Graham’s post reiterated Dachomo’s account: “I know what it means to stand before grieving families whose only crime was refusing to deny Jesus Christ… Now they say I will be next. But I ask the world, what is my crime?” he quoted.
Plateau State and other parts of Nigeria’s Middle Belt have long experienced violence tied to clashes between herders and farming communities, ethno-religious tensions and attacks by armed groups. Officials and international observers have repeatedly urged greater protection for civilians and more effective responses by security forces.
There was no immediate comment from the Nigerian government on the latest allegations. Representatives for Rev. Dachomo and for the organizations cited in the Fox report did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.
