Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, a Nigerian pastor whose plight has been highlighted by former President Donald Trump, has reported that nine members of his extended family were killed in an attack on their compound and that he has received a death threat from the same militia. The incident occurred in the Riyom district of Plateau State on July 12.
According to Dachomo, the attackers, identified as members of the Fulani ethnic militia, allegedly asked for him by name upon arriving at the family compound. Reports indicate a two-month-old baby was among those killed in the assault.
Dachomo, the regional leader of the Church of Christ in Nations in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, posted on X that he and members of his church received a threatening letter from the Fulani herdsmen vowing to attack and kill him soon. He stated, "Today, you will learn a hard lesson", before opening fire indiscriminately. He questioned his crime, asking, "Is my crime that I tell the stories of persecuted Christians in Nigeria, so the world will not forget them?"
Judd Saul, founder of the nonprofit Equipping the Persecuted, told Fox News Digital that the Islamist Fulani ethnic militia is responsible for the majority of killings against Christians in Nigeria. Saul’s organization works to end religious persecution and has warned of impending major attacks.
A six-year study by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA) published recently indicated that terror-related violence in Nigeria from 2019 to September 2025 resulted in 79,323 deaths. The study found that Fulani militias accounted for 44% of these deaths, a figure significantly higher than the combined toll attributed to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The U.S. State Department acknowledged the reports of the killings in Plateau State, with a spokesperson describing the violence against Christians in the Middle Belt, committed by Fulani ethnic militia, as a "shocking level of violence." The department offered condolences and condemned the act, urging Nigerian authorities to hold perpetrators accountable and implement measures to improve security for Christians.
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, and a U.S. delegation conveyed grave concerns regarding the violence faced by Christians in Nigeria during meetings with Nigerian officials in Abuja from July 13–15. The U.S. stated its commitment to working with the Nigerian government to protect Christians and advance religious freedom.
While the Trump administration previously conducted airstrikes in northern Nigeria targeting Boko Haram and ISWAP, no reported actions have been taken against Fulani groups in the Middle Belt. Saul expressed a desire for the U.S. to focus on the Middle Belt and the Fulani ethnic militia.
In response to the allegations, Rabiu Ibrahim, spokesperson for the Nigerian Ministry of Information and National Orientation, offered condolences to Rev. Dachomo. However, he rejected attempts to frame the nation's security crisis as a religious conflict, stating such narratives oversimplify the situation and may benefit criminal groups. Ibrahim asserted that all attacks are investigated by Nigerian security agencies to bring perpetrators to justice, regardless of their identity.