A Berom youth group under the auspices of “Berom Young Warriors”, BYW, has issued a stern warning to a Muslim group, “United Plateau Muslims”, UPM, that they will be held responsible if anything untoward happens to outspoken clergyman, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo.
The UPM had, in a statement on Wednesday, accused Rev. Dachomo of whipping up sentiments against Muslims and Fulanis in Plateau State with his insistence on an ongoing Christian genocide.
In the UPM statement jointly signed by the Coordinator of the group, Alhaji Jafaar Abbas, and the Secretary General, Salisu Adamu, the group had stated that Rev. Dachomo was playing out a script meant to demonize Muslims in the state to get grants from international donors and make the Christians hate Muslims.
“We have watched with keen interest but with restrained consternation the daily demonization of Muslims, Hausas, and Fulanis by Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, the Barkin Ladi Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), and we wonder if he is the only pastor in Plateau State.
“Every other day, he comes up with different allegations of Muslims and Fulanis killing Christians in the state just to whip up unnecessary sentiments and hatred for Muslims and the Fulani people. Why he does this, we cannot tell.”
The UPM stressed that Rev. Dachomo was deliberately attributing every attack and violence in Plateau to the handiwork of Muslims and Fulani militias, while insinuating that there are also Christian militias, especially from the Berom ethnic group, who also attack and kill Muslims.
“We also want to let him know that we have also documented a series of killings of Muslims carried out by Christian militias across the state, and will also present the evidence whenever he does so,” part of the statement had said.
But while reacting to the UPM statement, the BYW, in a statement on Thursday, accused the Muslim group of peddling falsehood to lay a foundation for attacks in unsuspecting communities in the state.
The statement signed by its Director of Press, Peter Jang, noted that the Muslim group was also playing out a script by their sponsors in a bid to rope in the fiery man of God.
“We read with anger the statement by a faceless group which calls itself United Plateau Muslims, where they accused our father in the Lord, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, of whipping up sentiments against Muslims and Fulanis over the killing of Christians in the state by their people,” the Berom youth group said.
“Everyone knows that 95 percent of attacks in the state, especially in Berom communities are carried out by Fulani militias, so to accuse our father of whipping up sentiments is taking our silence for granted.
“We know their antics, which are to come up with baseless allegations to set up a model of attack. But we want to tell them that our calmness over the years should not be mistaken for cowardice. We only show respect for constituted authorities by not taking the law into our own hands.
“We also have the means and willpower to match them fire for fire. This time, we dare them to attack any part of Berom land, and they will see that we can bite back.
“We know their target is Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo but we are issuing this stern warning to them that if anything happens to our daddy, they will know what the Berom youths are capable of.
“We are from a lineage of proud warriors; our forebears were great warriors. They have pushed us to the wall and we are no longer going to remain docile while they continue to plunder our lands, kill our people, and rape our women.
“Whoever knows the group should tell them to prepare for war if as little as a hair is cut off from Rev. Dachomo’s head,” the BYW warned.
