By JIDAUNA DARING
CHRISTIAN youth from Benue and Plateau states and Southern Bauchi and Southern Kaduna have raised alarm over the unabated killings and destruction of communities, which they described as a deliberate attempt to take over their indigenous, ancestral lands.
During a press conference held on August 28, 2025, at the Bishops Court in Jos, Plateau State, the youth strongly condemned the attacks and accused perpetrators of pursuing a broader agenda of ethnic cleansing and religious persecution.
Beyond denominational boundaries
Spokesperson of the group, Mr. Jethroon Dooyum Moor, expressed deep concern over the incessant killings and destruction of farmlands by gunmen. He noted that bullets and machetes recognised no denominational boundaries, as Catholic, COCIN, ECWA, Anglican and NKST members had all fallen victim.
According to him, the narrative that these atrocities were mere farmer-herder clashes, land disputes or consequences of climate change is misleading and downplays the reality of systematic attacks.
Religious persecution, forceful occupation
The group stressed that the coordinated manner of the attacks, coupled with chants of “AllahuAkbar” during raids, confirmed that the assaults were religiously motivated.
They described the situation as outright persecution, targeting predominantly Christian communities where women and children remained the most vulnerable.
The youth listed crimes such as killings, kidnapping for ransom, rape, forced conversions, destruction of livelihoods and displacement as part of this persecution. They insisted that the occupation of their lands by force must be addressed urgently.
Systematic marginalisation, ethnic cleansing
Beyond the violence, the youth raised concerns over systemic marginalisation. They cited the denial of opportunities in the public service, refusal to implement gazetted chiefdoms—such as the Zaar Chiefdom in Bauchi—and the imposition of Muslim traditional leaders on Christian-majority communities.
According to them, these acts reflected deliberate attempts at religious intolerance and disregard for the rights of Christian communities. They rejected the misleading labelling of these incidents as ” clashes” and insisted they should be rightly identified as ethnic cleansing.
Demands for justice, security, land rights
The youth issued a strong
call to governments to ensure the return of displaced persons to their ancestral lands, not mere resettlement. They demanded that state governments issue certificates of occupancy to displaced persons to recognise their genuine land rights.
They further urged that farmers must be allowed to cultivate their farmlands without harassment from herders, while attackers, who are heavily armed with sophisticated weapons, must be disarmed.
They also insisted on the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators, who, according to them, ” are not spirits but humans operating freely.”
Security agencies, they said, must act impartially and professionally in protecting lives and property.
Additionally, they called for the speedy trial of indigenous Christian youth currently held in detention by security forces.
The group demanded respect for the wishes of Zaar Chiefdom in Bauchi to nominate their chief without external imposition and emphasised the need for a review of Nigeria’s security architecture to strengthen community policing and restore public confidence.
They concluded by warning politicians against politicising the crises, stressing that failure to address these issues could lead to a total breakdown of law and order.