Trump’s repost of Pastor Dachomo’s plea reignites Washington scrutiny amid congressional warnings of a “Christian genocide.”
By Masara Kim
The United States on Thursday, July 23, condemned the killing of relatives of Pastor Ezekiel Dachomo in Plateau State, Nigeria. Frank Garcia, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, said in a statement that the continued violence targeting Christian communities and other vulnerable populations in Nigeria’s Middle Belt is “deeply alarming.”
“We extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families and all those affected,” Garcia said. “As I discussed last week with Nigerian officials, we must do more to prevent violent acts. The perpetrators must be held accountable, and urgent action is needed to strengthen security and protect Christians and other vulnerable communities.”
“The United States remains committed to working with the Nigerian government and our partners 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,” he added.
The statement comes amid renewed congressional debate and U.S.-Nigeria cooperation on counterterrorism. The renewed attention followed a TruthNigeria video of Pastor Dachomo calling for U.S. intervention, which was recently reposted by President Donald Trump.
According to TruthNigeria, which first reported the killings, nine members of Dachomo’s extended family were among dozens killed this July by radical Islamist groups in northern Nigeria. The attack occurred on July 11 in a remote village south of Jos, the capital of Plateau State. It was followed by a series of isolated attacks across Plateau and Benue states, including the murder of four people 56 miles southeast of Jos in an area previously considered safe due to a lack of prior incidents.
Speaking at a mass funeral for the victims on July 23, Gabriel Dewan, a member and former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, said the attacks came after unidentified helicopters were seen landing in forests in the Takkas area of Fier district, in Pankshin Local Government Area.
“The issue of this helicopter landing, I am going to take it personally because in the northeast and northwest, when a helicopter lands in isolated areas like that, it is nothing but weapons supplied to terrorists,” Dewan said. “The police and army and all other law enforcement must move quickly to comb and rid those areas of all forms of threat.”
“No community should have to endure such tragedy, and those responsible must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted without delay,” he added, calling for ongoing U.S. engagement to be extended to the Middle Belt states.
In congressional hearings over the previous two days, lawmakers raised concerns about the violence and the Nigerian government’s response with U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Mike Waltz.
House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa Chairman Chris Smith said Christians remain the primary target of radical Islamists, even as Muslims who speak out are also at risk.
“Secretary Waltz, thank you for your leadership on Nigeria. You’re one of the few people who I know have been deployed there to try to help protect those who’re being slaughtered including the Christians. Yes Muslims get killed too if they speak out. Christians get targeted because they’re infidels and the radical Islamic belief is, you deserve to die. And whether it’s Boko Haram, ISIS West Africa, or the Fulani, we need to do more,” Smith said.
Rep. John James of Southeast Michigan described Nigeria as the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian today, citing tens of thousands of Christians killed since 2019 in what he called a “sustained pattern of religiously motivated violence” by Islamist jihadists that he said was “ignored or enabled” by the Nigerian government.
“Extremist groups like Boko Haram are allowed to operate without any meaningful response from authorities. America gives billions to Nigeria. We will not continue to fund a Christian genocide. We have the moral obligation to stand up so our Christian brothers and sisters can worship the Lord our God in peace,” James said.
In his response, Waltz said U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres prioritizes religious freedom and is working closely with Nigerian authorities.
“I have to give credit where credit is due, Secretary Guterres has taken on the issue in a meaningful way,” Waltz said. “Yes we are taking the persecution of Christians very seriously… We’ve seen the Nigerian government move as a response to the President’s attention, our attention, her attention on the issue. They are cooperating with us more than they were on counterterrorism, they are cooperating in terms of their security force capacity.”
“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 added.
“Make no mistake — churches are being burned, pastors are being executed, people are being arrested literally for just wearing a cross around their neck and the Christian religion is the most persecuted religion in the world right now and this administration and I as its representative in the UN are taking it incredibly seriously,” he said.
In a post on X, Senator Ted Cruz criticized Nigeria’s response to U.S. concerns while commending the House for sustaining attention on the issue.
“Nigerian officials have created an environment that facilitates mass violence against Christians and religious minorities by imposing blasphemy and Sharia laws and looking the other way at jihadist atrocities,” Cruz wrote. “The U.S. government knows the Nigerian officials responsible for these policies, I have been pushing my bill to sanction them, and President Trump has even ordered military action. Instead of responding to American concerns, Nigerian officials waged a public relations campaign against critics. They were confident in that campaign and in their ability to continue the status quo, and I am heartened that the House has just definitively proven them wrong.”
Masara Kim is an award-winning conflict reporter in Jos, Nigeria and the senior editor of TruthNigeria
