Diaspora Christians write Tinubu, demand urgent action over killings

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The Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare the protection of vulnerable communities a “national emergency” following a string of unabated deadly attacks in Plateau, Benue and Kaduna states.

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The group made the call in an open letter addressed to the President and Commander-in-Chief and made available to journalists in Jos on Sunday .

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The letter signed on behalf of CANAN USA Dr. Banjo Olaniyan, the group expressed “grief, urgency, and an unwavering conviction that the Nigerian government must do more to protect citizens” who have suffered repeated killings, maiming, displacement, abductions and destruction of property.

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CANAN USA cited the reported killing of nine members of the extended family of Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, a prominent leader of the Church of Christ in Nations, COCIN, and an outspoken advocate for communities facing persistent violence in Plateau State.

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The statement which read in parts lamented, “Nine members of one family. Behind that number are fathers, mothers, children, relatives, dreams, and futures violently extinguished.

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“This is not merely another security statistic. It represents a devastated family and another community forced to bury its people,” the letter stated.

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The group added that Rev. Dachomo himself has reportedly received several threats to his life, and urged the President not to “wait until another voice is silenced before acting.”

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The letter, which also referenced an attack in Kaduna, according to CANAN USA, noted that, “on July 27, 2026, armed attackers invaded Naridon village in Kauru Local Government Area, killing at least 30 people, including eight children.”

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The group stressed that”the residents reported indiscriminate shooting and the burning of homes, with four people critically injured. Victims included women, children and the elderly.

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“The residents further alleged that security personnel arrived only in the morning, hours after the attack. No group has claimed responsibility at the time of initial reporting,” CANAN USA noted, thus, calling for a “thorough and transparent investigation.”

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It queried, “How many more communities must bury their children? How many more families must sleep in the bush because they are afraid to remain in their ancestral homes?” the letter asked.

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CANAN USA urged President Tinubu to take immediate action in four areas which the group requested “immediate and appropriate special security protection for Rev. Dachomo, his family, church, and others facing credible threats.”

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It said documented threats submitted to security agencies should be investigated urgently as actionable intelligence.

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CANAN USA also urged the federal government to establish enhanced security arrangements for communities under repeated attacks in Plateau, Kaduna, Benue and other states.

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“Security must become preventive — not merely responsive,” it declared.

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The association called for a “Special Victims Compensation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Initiative” to assist bereaved families, injured and disabled survivors, displaced persons, widows, orphans, and to rebuild destroyed homes and places of worship. The initiative should also cover medical care, trauma counseling, education and livelihood restoration.

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CANAN USA further demanded credible investigations into the killings in Rev. Dachomo’s community, the July 27 Naridon massacre, and other recurring attacks. It insisted that perpetrators, financiers, weapons suppliers, informants and collaborators must be prosecuted “irrespective of ethnicity, religion, political influence, or economic status.”

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The diaspora body pointed out that its appeal was not a call for retaliation, but insisted that, “The killing of Christians must matter. The killing of Muslims must matter. The killing of traditional worshippers must matter. Every Nigerian life must matter.”

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The letter added that where evidence shows that particular religious communities are being repeatedly targeted, then, the government “must be willing to investigate those patterns honestly and protect those communities effectively.”

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It emphasised, “Mr. President, history is watching.”

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CANAN USA said. “The measure of the government is not simply what it says after citizens are killed. It is what that government does before the next attack occurs.”

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The letter concluded: “Enough mourning. Let there bebe protection. Enough displacement. Let there be restoration. Enough impunity. Let there be justice. Enough killing. Let Nigeria’s people live.”

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Efforts to reach ,the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, for comment on the issues were unsuccessful as calls made to his phone indicated that it was switched off

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